Best Things To Do in Lima

Lima is a city full of impressive history, landscapes worth admiring and places you must visit. The best things to do in this city are numerous, but here I will recommend the ones that stand out from the rest. Before traveling, I recommend that you look for the best way to get to and from the airport, so you arrive in time to take advantage of every minute of your stay in the Peruvian capital.

As in almost every city, its historic center is a must-see destination. There you can visit different iconic buildings of the country. Also, try the gastronomy and visit museums. These activities will allow you to connect much more with the culture of the country. Take advantage of Lima's proximity to the sea and visit some of its paradisiacal beaches, you won't get bored in this beautiful city!

The historic center of Lima was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site and is definitely a place you must visit when you travel to the city. You will be able to see how the past and present of a city coexist on a daily basis by observing the imposing mansions, churches and works of art.

One way to get to the historic center is through a Hop on Hop off tourist bus. You can get off at the stop closest to the center at any time of the day and start exploring. The best thing is that you will be able to do this tour on foot. I suggest you visit the Plaza de Armas or Plaza Mayor of Lima, the most popular place in the area.

Around this square you will see the Cathedral of Lima, the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace. If you have time, I recommend you to enter each of these sites and appreciate their architectural richness. Other striking destinations are the Municipality of Lima and even some museums such as the Museum of the Holy Inquisition.

In the center you will also find many souvenir stores and restaurants where you can have a coffee or a snack. In addition, you should go through Jiron de la Union Street, the most important street in the center. A tour through this side of the city will be a great adventure to start your stay in Lima.

Information of interest

• Location: Historic Center, Lima 15001, Peru.

• When to go: all year round.

• Hours: any time.

Lima is known for having a very varied cuisine and interesting flavors. If you travel to this city you should definitely take a gastronomic tour in Lima. These can be a simple walking tour through markets or a night walk visiting different restaurants, and even, if you like cooking, a very good plan is to take Peruvian cooking classes.

The Peruvian dish par excellence is the ceviche. Do not hesitate to order this dish when you go on one of these tours. I recommend visiting prestigious restaurants such as Maido, Central or Astrid & Gaston, especially if you want a more elegant experience.

Another main dish you have to try is the grilled chicken, made with seasonings characteristic of Peruvian cuisine. It comes with french fries and a salad. The lomo saltado is a simple but delicious dish, seasoned with onion and accompanied with white rice.

If you prefer to try snacks, I recommend the choclo con queso, made with Peruvian white corn, accompanied by different sauces. But, if you are looking for a dessert, the lucuma juice or chicha morada is my suggestion. These are easily available in the markets of the city. All these dishes are just a small part of Peruvian gastronomy, visit Lima and experience a world full of flavors!

The Parque del Amor is located in the district of Miraflores. If you visit it you can enjoy beautiful landscapes and views of the Pacific Ocean. You can also see the iconic sculpture known as "El Beso", made by the Peruvian artist Victor Delfin.

This park is known for being a small refuge for couples in love. Its entire design and structure is inspired by Güell Park in Barcelona. Its walls are decorated with mosaics that have love phrases written in Spanish and Quechua. You will also find names of famous couples and people who helped financially to build this iconic space in Lima.

When you arrive at the park you will see a beautiful garden with flowers in the shape of hearts. You can sit on one of the benches and enjoy the sunset. In the surrounding area you will find several cafes, public restrooms and parking lots. It is an ideal place to end a day of exploring the city, especially if you are traveling as a couple.

On the other hand, if your trip is as a couple and you are interested in seeing more romantic places, I also recommend you to take some excursions from Lima. For example, you could visit the Gocta Waterfall, in Chachapoyas; or Punta Sal, in Tumbes; among some other places. Perfect getaways for couples or if you are going to spend at least two days in Lima.

Information of interest

• Location: Av, Mal. Cisneros, Miraflores 15074, Peru.

• When to go: every month of the year.

• Hours: any time of the day.

Lima is a city where you can experience contrasts between the modern and the pre-Hispanic. The latter can be seen in its iconic huacas, ancient structures that were sacred sites for the Incas. More than five thousand years ago, they used to perform rituals where the Incas honored the gods and asked for their protection.

Although many of them are currently deteriorated by the passage of time, some are still worth visiting. For example, in the district of Miraflores, right on block 8 of Calle General Borgoño, you will find the Huaca Pucllana. This has a tourist route made up of bridges, ramps, roads, among other elements.

Another of the most interesting is the Huaca Mateo Salado which is located in the Cercado de Lima, near Breña and Pueblo Libre. In its surroundings you will see houses and stores. In it you will see five stepped pyramids. The main one is about 18 meters long. You will also see a wall that protects three of them.

Huaca Puruchuco and Huaca Huallamarca are also popular. Although you can visit them on your own and free of charge, I recommend you do it in the company of a specialized guide. If you like this experience, you will probably enjoy taking an excursion from Lima to Cusco and Machu Picchu to learn about Peru's Inca past. You will travel to an ancient era!

Information of interest

• When to go: all year round.
• Schedule: all day.

Lima is a city full of interesting museums that you have to visit. One of them is the Larco Museum. This site has an extensive collection of pre-Columbian art. You will see ceramic pieces, ancient artifacts originating from Peruvian cultures and diverse jewelry.

This museum was built in a colonial mansion from the XVIII century AD. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has a permanent exhibition of pre-Columbian art. Here you can explore more than five thousand years of history. You will learn about the evolution of this Andean people and other curious and interesting facts.

Other places you must see in this museum is the Erotic Gallery, where you will learn about the perception that pre-Columbian Peru had about sexuality. Also, you can enter deposits that house more than 30 thousand archaeological pieces that have been kept over time. At the end of your tour you can visit the museum's café-restaurant.

Information of interest

• Location: 1515 Simon Bolivar Avenue, Pueblo Libre, Lima 21, Peru. Access: 169 Navarra St. (in front of Larco Park) - Price: about 10 ¤. Half price for students and minors.

• Hours: Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 7 pm. The schedule usually changes on December 24, 25 and 31. On January 1st it is usually open from 10 am to 6 pm.

Walking along the Miraflores boardwalk is another activity you can enjoy during your stay in Lima. It is a park that has different paths through which you can walk along the cliff of the Costa Verde. Near this boardwalk you can see the Pacific Ocean, and if you enjoy this view and want to know more of the Peruvian coast, you can take a tour to the islands near Lima.

In total there are five kilometers of travel that are divided into three sections. One of them is the Malecon de la Marina, located in the north. This begins at the Manuel Bonilla stadium and extends to the Miguel Grau Park. The second, the Malecón Cisneros, is the central stretch that goes from the Miguel Grau Park to the Villena Bridge.

Finally, the Malecón de la Reserva, the southern stretch, includes the entire road from the Villena Bridge to the Armendaríz descent. Along this long but entertaining route you will see beautiful parks, sports fields, flower gardens, monuments and much more.

During the summer this is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Many people gather to enjoy a picnic in the sun or just lie down on the clean green grass. The sunsets are beautiful to watch and you will also have a good view of the 21 meter high Faro de la Marina lighthouse.

Information of interest

• Location: Malecón de Miraflores, Mal. de la Reserva 275, Miraflores 15074, Peru - Price: free admission.

• When to go: all year round, especially in summer.

• Hours: any time of the day.

Juan's Traveller tip
You can tour the Miraflores boardwalk by bicycle through its ciclovía. There are several rental options that will surely adapt to your time and pocket. This way you can enjoy in a more entertaining way this tourist destination of the city.

Lima is a city full of culture and history, that's why its museums are places you must include in your visit. Among them is the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI). This museum exhibits a wide collection of Peruvian art from pre-Columbian to contemporary times, including paintings, sculptures and textiles. It is located on Paseo Colon, opposite the Italian Art Museum, which you can also visit.

This site has a total of 4500 square meters. It is one of the most important museums in Latin America and was made with the iron construction technique. Its style is neo-renaissance and it is surrounded by statues and gardens. Inside you will find a collection of permanent and temporary exhibitions that are worth seeing carefully.

The collections of this museum are organized according to the epochs of Peru's history. The permanent exhibition has nine rooms, including the pre-Columbian art room, textiles, colonial art, silverware, 19th century republican art and traditional art, the largest of its kind.

Other spaces you can visit are the 19th and 20th century art room, the photography room, and the contemporary art room. Keep in mind that you can take pictures only if you do it without flash. Also consider that if you travel to Lima in December it is likely that the rainy season has started. Therefore, visiting museums is the best option to enjoy the city and take shelter.

Information of interest

• Location: Paseo Colón 125, Parque de la Exposición, Lima 15046, Peru - Price: about 10 ¤. On Sundays the entrance is two for one.

• When to go: all year round.

• Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, from 10:30 am to 6 pm. Saturdays from 10:30 am to 5 pm.

Touring the district of Barranco, located in the south of the city, is a very entertaining activity that you will surely love. This is a bohemian place full of life all day and most of the night. Take advantage of the time and walk through its colorful streets, its varied bars, art galleries and much more.

In addition to the joy that the locals themselves give to this district, what makes the difference in this place is its peculiar architecture. You will see old mansions that are now bars and museums, as well as a very busy boardwalk that borders the Costa Verde. You can also take the time to pass by the Puente de Los Suspiros, made of wood and built in 1876.

Under the bridge you will find the Bajada de los baños, a natural creek that now houses restaurants, cafes and a pedestrian walkway. You will also have the opportunity to visit La Santísima Cruz Church, San Francisco Church and the Municipal Library. If you like museums you can visit the Pedro de Osma Museum, the Electricity Museum and the Mario Testino Museum.

Continue your tour through the Plaza San Francisco, one of the most beautiful places in Barranco. Also, stroll through the Casa de Abraham Valdelomar and the Malecon de los Ingleses. This district can be explored in an afternoon, so I recommend including it in one of the tours you take around the city.

Information of interest

• When to go: all year round.
• Hours: all day.

Lima's Chinatown is known as the Asian corner of the city. This place is part of the Central Market and is located in Barrios Altos, near the historic center of the city. The origin of this neighborhood dates back to 1849, when Chinese citizens migrated mainly from the province of Canton. Most of them arrived to work in coastal haciendas and with the passing of time they settled in what is today Lima's Chinatown.

Visiting this place is an enriching experience that you must have. I mainly recommend you to visit the chifas, as Chinese food restaurants are popularly known. In addition, some of them offer dishes that mix Chinese and Peruvian gastronomy, eating here will be an explosion of flavors!

After eating you can continue exploring this area of the city passing through the Chinese Arch or Portada China. I also recommend you to walk along Capon Street and if possible, enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations. For that you should travel in January to Lima and enjoy these dates insignies for the Chinese community in Peru.

Information of interest

• Location: Paseo Colón 125, Parque de la Exposición, Lima 15046, Peru.

• When to go: all year round.

A great advantage of visiting Lima is that you have many beautiful beaches near you. You can choose some that are ideal for a family day and even other beaches where you can surf. Get your swimsuit and sunscreen because you will spend a great vacation in Lima!

Among the beaches that you can visit especially in summer in Lima, El Silencio, located south of the city, stands out. You can enjoy a wide bay of white sand and calm waters. Waikiki beach, located on the Costa Verde, offers good waves for surfing. You could even take a lesson and learn to surf, are you up for it?

A trip to the beaches of this city is ideal if you will be in Lima for 3 days or more. Besides the ones I already recommended, you can choose the beach depending on where you are. If you are staying south of Lima, I recommend Embajadores beach, if you are in the north, you can go to La Isla, El Puerto or Hermosa beach.