The story
Stand for a moment here at Calle Unión 189. You are standing at a threshold, a transition point between the bustling, commercial heart of Cusco and the steep, quiet, spiritual heights of the city’s most famous neighborhood. As you look up the incline, you are following a path that has been tread for over five hundred years.
In the time of the Inca, this area was known as T’oqokachi, or the salt cave, a place of springs and sacred gardens. Today, it is the gateway to San Blas, the legendary artisans’ quarter. As we begin to walk upward, notice the architecture surrounding you.
The foundations beneath your feet are often original Inca stonework, massive blocks fitted together with such precision that not even a knife blade can slide between them. Atop these ancient stones sit the Spanish colonial walls, brilliant white and capped with red clay tiles. This layering of history is the literal DNA of Cusco.
The air here feels different as you climb. It grows thinner, certainly, but also quieter. You are entering a sanctuary of creativity.
San Blas is world-renowned as the Barrio de los Artesanos. For four centuries, the same families have occupied these narrow streets, passing down secrets of woodcarving, weaving, and ceramics from grandparent to grandchild. Keep an eye out for the workshops tucked behind those iconic bright blue doors.
You might hear the rhythmic tap-tap of a chisel or the soft whir of a loom. This neighborhood is famous for the Mendívil family, whose signature long-necked religious figures were inspired by the graceful lines of the llamas and alpacas that roam the high Andes. You will also find the intricate masks of the Mérida family and the delicate, golden-hued ceramics of the Olave workshop.
As the street narrows and the climb steepens, you will eventually reach the Plazoleta de San Blas. This small, charming square is the heart of the district. Dominating the space is the Church of San Blas, a simple structure that hides one of the greatest artistic treasures in the world.
Inside sits the San Blas Pulpit, an impossibly complex masterpiece carved from a single block of cedar. Local legend says the artist was a leper who was miraculously cured after finishing the work, and if you look closely at the very top of the carving, some say his skull is embedded there as a final, macabre signature. Take your time as you wander these heights.
Every alleyway offers a new perspective, a hidden courtyard, or a sudden view of the red-roofed city sprawling below. In San Blas, time doesn't move forward so much as it circles around, kept alive by the hands of the artists who call these whitewashed slopes their home. Enjoy the climb; the soul of Cusco is waiting for you at the top.