El Arqueólogo Exclusive Selection

El Arqueólogo is a boutique hotel in a restored colonial house on Calle Pumacurco in San Cristóbal, about 450 metres, or five minutes on foot, from the Plaza de Armas. Its name honours the house's history: it once belonged to two leading 20th-century figures in Cusco archaeology and history, Luis Eduardo Valcárcel, who lived from 1891 to 1987, and Luis A. Pardo, who lived from 1899 to 1979. The hotel also calls itself Casa Peralta.

The building is a lesson in Cusco's layers. The hotel says you can see traces of the pre-Inca, Inca, colonial, republican and contemporary periods in its fabric, and its patios are framed by arches, columns and old wooden doors. The surrounding streets have Inca walls, colonial balconies and baroque chapels, so the walk to and from the centre is part of the pleasure.

The standout feature is the garden. Around 3,000 square metres of lawns and planting spread across Inca terraces, with local trees and flowers and views up towards Sacsayhuamán, the Inca complex whose great terrace walls run for about 400 metres along the hill above the city. It is a peaceful place to sit with a book in the afternoon sun.

There are 22 rooms of between 15 and 27 square metres, mixing traditional and modern styles, in four categories: classic rooms, design rooms, duplexes with a mezzanine and suites. Rooms at the smaller end are compact, so choose a suite or a duplex if you want more space. All have central heating, which matters on cold Andean nights. Breakfast includes vegetarian options, and the hotel offers Wi-Fi, laundry, tour bookings, an in-house massage service featuring an Inka massage, and paid parking by reservation. Pets are welcome. The hotel notes that its restaurant and bar are currently under maintenance, so plan to eat out in the evening.

El Arqueólogo suits couples, history lovers and independent travellers who want character and calm at a moderate price. The garden looks towards Sacsayhuamán, while the Plaza de Armas is only a few minutes away. The hotel's website also promotes a lodge in the Sacred Valley and a glass-pyramid eco-lodge near Ollantaytambo station, useful if you are planning to continue towards Machu Picchu.