Short Review of Lodging/Food in Cajamarca, Peru
Complejo Turistico Banos del IncaThis place has expensive bungalows (sl. 120). We rented in the un-gated alburgue (sl.60 for a 6 bed room (bunks!) with private bath). The beds were comfortable, the staff was a bit manic (upon checking in at 6am, the front desk person told us the night is based on 24 hours…meaning we’d have to check out at 6am the next day. Luckily, the woman working the next morning told us we had until 1pm). It was quiet except for the rowdy baptism party that was happening in the banquet hall. Our window overlooked a beautiful garden and they let us use the kitchen to make our own dinner. Nice location if you want to wake up and have a baño first thing in the morning (4:30am-8pm); and it only costs sl. 0.50 to ride the combi into the center of Cajamarca or one hour by foot.
Hostal Plaza (located in the Plaza de Armas in town)
sl. 25 for a “double” room with a shared bathroom and frigidly cold showers.
This old, rickety wooden building has two internal courtyards filled with artisan shops. The beds are decent, the room is clean. The only strange thing is that we asked for a doble and we got a room with 4 beds. There was a doble available the following night that had 2 beds…same price. The front desk was friendly and will hold the room key for you while you explore the town. They will also hold your baggage in a locked room after the 1pm check out time.
Hostal Las Tejas (Amazonas 700 block)
When most of the rooms were filled in the budget hostals, we found this hostal (sl. 38, hot water) and upon asking for a double, we got a room with 3 beds..all of them painfully uncomfortable. If you want to know what it’s like to sleep on sheet metal and have dead spiderwebs in every corner of the room, this is your place. It’s clean on the surface, though (no cockroaches) and it’s set back from the road so there isn’t too much street noise. (Although our room was against the parking lot behind the building and we heard the cars coming and going).
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Heladeria Holanda
Yum! This ice cream puts the D’Anfria on every corner to shame. It’s locally made ice cream with local highland fruit. My favorites were pushgay (just like huckleberries) and poroporo (a tart orange creamsicle flavor). There’s one on the plaza de armas and one across from the Banos del Inca (and another one, but I forgot where it was). sl. 3 for a sugar cone with two scoops for the perfect tummyache.
Vegetarian Restaurant (400 or 300 block of Puga)
This place has almost the same carta as most of the veggie restaurants in Lima. Most things are with the soya de carne or the flat fillet of soya (but it tastes like wheat gluten). The best deal is the menu, sl. 2.50 for breakfast and dinner and sl. 3.50 for lunch. My dinner was a vegetable soup and locro de zapallo (a nice orange stew of squash and potatoes on rice). The burger is strange, the lomo del jugo is delicious, the special juice is amazing and tastes like peanut butter.
Don Paco (Puga 726)
This place was crowded with Peruvians and gringos. The carta was a bit on the pricey side but the food was delicious and the presentation was pretty. Order the caldo verde (sl. 6), which is a green soup with potatoes and local cajamarca cheese. The greens are unclear: cilantro, parsley, and perhaps huacatay (a mint like herb). The lentil burger is hearty and on good bread (ask for aji to kick it up). Don’t get the chicha morada, it’s grossly overpriced and not worth it. Spend sl. 0.50 on the street for a pint instead of sl.3 at Don Paco.
New York Pizza (Puga 1045)
A medium to thin crust, lots of toppings and plenty of cheese to make you miss pizza back home. They even understand the concept of large pizzas. (In Huanchaco the large pizza was a 12″). There’s a guy who tosses the dough in the air to stretch it and it’s all made right in front of you. Good prices, yummy pizza.
Market (North of the Plaza de Armas, across the river).
Don’t stop when you first see the fruit and veggie vendors, keep heading straight and left until you reach the tarp covered, dense market with vendors on both sides. The people before don’t post their prices, won’t weigh your produce for you and basically rip you off without a smile. At the covered market, the people are friendlier, nicer and you can easily get everything you need for a packed lunch or simple breakfast.