Lima tourist guide by Visit Peru

ima Tourist guide

Morro Solar (hill)

Musuk Nolte

Visit Lima

Gihan Tubbeh

Main Square of Lima

Discover so much more than what you expected.

Unique experiences To a great extent, Lima is a reflection of Peruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural, natural, and artistic wealth and a city where you can enjoy all types of unique experiences that touch upon all your senses: engaging in extreme sports, ge ing in close contact with nature, visiting Spanish colonial churches and buildings, touring ancient archeological sites, shopping at a boutique, or simply relaxing in a hotel, spa, bar, or restaurant (this last option is where you can eat some of the finest food offered in the country). Whatever you are interested in, Lima is waiting for you with open arms. All you have to do is choose where you want to begin.

Contemporary

Gihan Tubbeh

Peñas in Barranco and Miraflores are nightclubs that treat you to live traditional folk music and colorful dances.

Designer shops, fashion shows, film festivals, art and photographic exhibitions, modern shopping malls, and art galleries.

Adventure

Ancient

Surfing on the beaches of the Costa Verde and paragliding high above the Pacific coastline. Kayaking and rafting on the Lurín and Cañete rivers. Mountain biking in the foothills of the Andes.

Art, history, geography, culinary, and interactive museums, plus many others.

Wondrous

Sea lion and seabird observation at the Palomino Islands (Callao).

Manchamanteles

Enrique Castro-Mendívil

Natural

Carlos Ibarra

Gonzalo Barandiarán

Luis Gamero

Living culture

The Pisco Route takes you to traditional vineyards and bars.

ima

It was founded under the name of the City of the Kings, and you can see history and modernity walking hand in hand down its streets today. One of its most important sections is its Historic Center that UNESCO inscribed on its World Heritage List.

Raúl García

This downtown area, as in the districts along the Pacific coast, is where film and music festivals and fashion shows rub elbows with traditional festivals, modern shopping malls, Colonial mansions, and museums of history and art with interactive exhibits. The city’s landscape and its beaches fit perfectly together, offering the best of contemporary life.

To delight your palate Lima is the culinary capital of the Americas, and The Economist has ranked Peruvian food among the twelve best in the world. What led to the development of this incredible and unique culinary tradition is the blend of ingredients, our cultural melting pot, and a wide variety of cooking techniques.

Culinary styles

Creole: Dishes from Peru’s colonial epoch, combining aboriginal Peruvian and Spanish flavors. Chifa: The blending of Chinese and Peruvian styles. International: All types of foreign foods are offered at French, Italian, Indian, Korean, Arabic, Spanish, and other restaurants. Novo Andino: New dishes prepared with traditional Andean ingredients and techniques. Nikkei: A mixture of Japanese and Peruvian food. Seafood: The best in fish and seafood is found on the Pacific coast. Pachamanca: A traditional dish of different meats and Andean vegetables. It is cooked in an earthen oven using heated stones. Vegetarian and organic foods: at specialized restaurants.

Fish and seafood tiradito

Yayo López

San Martín Square

Let’s go shopping You can purchase handicrafts from all regions of Peru at different craft markets in Lima, Miraflores, and Pueblo Libre. Alpaca and vicuña wool garments, the fibers from these South American camelids are famous for their excellent quality and softness. Purchase these at specialty shops. Brand name clothing, footwear, and accessories, made in Peru and abroad, can be purchased at any of these modern shopping malls: Larcomar, Jockey Plaza, Real Plaza Primavera, Open Plaza Angamos, Caminos del Inca, Plaza San Miguel, Plaza Lima Sur, Real Plaza Centro Cívico, Aventura Mall, Mega Plaza, Plaza Norte, etc.

Contemporary designs, decorations, paintings, clothing, and jewelry created by young Peruvian designers on sale at shopping malls and boutiques in the exclusive districts of Miraflores and San Isidro.

Lodging and Tourist Services Luxury hotels run by the most prestigious international chains, three to five star national hotels, boutique hotels, and hostels. Guided tours of the most interesting places in the city and destinations outside of Lima, both during the day and at night. Car and bicycle rental. Tour buses. Safe taxi service 24 hours a day. Barranco Town Square

You can also go antiquing or art shopping at specialized stores found in Miraflores (La Paz Street or in Parque Kennedy). All types of fine gold and silver jewelry are on sale at high end jewelry stores.

Daniel Silva

Cathedral of Lima. It was built in the 17th century, yet later modifications produced what we see today: a building with a combination of different architectural styles, like Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical. Don’t miss out on the art works, the magnificent wood carved choir, and the tomb of the Conquistador Francisco Pizarro.

Main A ractions

Lima’s Historic Center is the original Spanish se lement of the colonial city, where the main buildings and churches from that time period were built. In 1998, UNESCO inscribed it on its World Heritage List.

Domingo Giribaldi

San Francisco Church and Convent. It is the most noteworthy colonial architectural complex in Lima and possesses a magnificent wooden choir, Baroque and Neo-classical retables, plus exquisite wood carved images of religious figures. And of course, you won’t want to miss the Catacombs.

AnĂbal Solimano

Main Square. It is the exact spot where Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima in 1535. Found upon it are the Government Palace, Lima City Hall, Cathedral, and the Club de la Union building. Right in the center is a beautiful bronze fountain from the 16th century.

Gihan Tubbeh

Sebastián Castañeda

Aníbal Solimano

Santo Domingo Church and Convent. It is the oldest church in the city. Highlights include a hand carved crucifix, a work from the school of Juan Bautista Vasquez. The tombs of Saint Martin of Porres, Saint Rose of Lima, and Saint John Macias are in the adjacent convent. This was also the site of the very first university founded in the Americas: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Aliaga House. An elegant residence for one of Lima’s founders: Jerónimo de Aliaga. The façade features an incredibly beautiful balcony built during Peru’s Republican Era, and on the inside you will walk through lovely halls and patios. It is now a cultural center and venue where different ceremonies are held.

Beatrice Velarde

Main A ractions

Domingo Giribaldi

AnĂbal Solimano

Gihan Tubbeh

Sebastián Castañeda

Aníbal Solimano

Beatrice Velarde

Parque de la Muralla. Here, you can see part of the protective wall that surrounded Lima in the 17th century. There is a site museum where they exhibit archeological artifacts from the area.

Carlos Ibarra

Torre Tagle Palace. Located in historic downtown Lima, it is the current seat of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. It possesses an intricately carved stone front door and, on the faรงade, masterpieces of 18th century architecture: two cedar and mahogany balconies, wonderfully worked in the Andalusian Baroque style, with touches of the Moorish and Creole. Inside are lovely hallways, patios, and dining rooms, not to mention a paneled prayer room. Saint Rose of Lima Church. Besides being a church, it is a museum where you can see the house where Saint Rose grew up and the hermitage she built in 1614 for meditation and prayer.

Church, convent, and museum of the Descalzos. Initially founded in 1565 as a house of meditation and penance, today it displays a valuable art collection with paintings mainly from the Cusco, Quito, and Lima schools.

Huaca Pucllana and Huaca Huallamarca. Sacred sites found in the heart of Miraflores and San Isidro, respectively. They are both Pre-Incan truncated pyramids used by the Lima culture for ceremonies and burial grounds. The main material used in their construction was adobe bricks (mud and straw). You can also see tombs, mummies, and poÂ?ery pieces.

Huaca Pucllana

National Museum. An important collection of different cultural manifestations from various time periods of Peruvian history is on display in its large halls, exhibited in such a way as to educate the visitors. In addition, it serves as a cultural center for temporary painting, photographic, and sculpture exhibits, and as a venue for seminars and conferences.

Daniel Silva

Gastronomy House. This one-ofa-kind museum, located in Limaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic center, is a trip through 500 years of Peruvian culinary history and knowledge, from ancient Andean recipes to new dishes derived from a combination of flavors from different ethnic groups and cultures.

Luis Gamero

National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru. This museum is in the historic district of Pueblo Libre, and on display are collections of po ery, jewelry, and textile artifacts from Pre-Columbian cultures as well as priceless pieces from Peru’s Colonial and Republican eras. It is housed in one of the sections of the Quinta de los Libertadores Cultural Complex, an 18th century mansion where the Liberators José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar lived.

Larco Museum. Another museum in Pueblo Libre, this time in a Colonial mansion built on top of a truncated pyramid. It is an immense private art collection exhibited in chronological order. There are roughly 47,000 gold, silver, ceramic, and textile artifacts that represent 3000 years of Peru’s Pre-Columbian history.

Daniel Silva

Lima Museum of Art (MALI). This museum is located in downtown Lima and is one of the most beautiful examples of eclectic architecture in Lima, a true blending of different styles. Construction began in 1870 and ended in 1871, and the building was originally used as the headquarters of the Exhibition Palace. It is by far one of the most important urban projects of the 19th century. Today, it displays significant art collections from different periods of Peruvian art. Luis Gamero

Magic Water Circuit

Gihan Tubbeh

Parque de la Reserva and the Magic Water Circuit. The park, close to downtown Lima, is of a Neo-classical design and was completed in 1929. A set of thirteen water fountains was installed in the park in 2006, and its designers created a spectacular show of music and laser lights directed on the cascading water in such a way as to form images. Furthermore, the Guinness Book of World Records

claims it is the largest fountain complex inside a public park anywhere in the world. Miraflores and San Isidro. These two residential districts are known for their thriving night life, numerous shopping and entertainment centers, as well as exclusive boutiques and fine restaurants, some of which offer a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean.

Gihan Tubbeh

Costa Verde beach circuit. You reach the beaches, driving along a smoothly paved road. There is also an extensive pedestrian walkway that follows the contour of the coastline and that provides Lima residents and visitors sporting and recreational areas. The circuit spans several coastal districts and connects their different beaches.

Gihan Tubbeh

Barranco. Originally a beach resort for Lima’s middle and upper classes, it was annexed by the city in 1874. The main sights there are the European styled mansions and famous Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs, a sort of Lover’s Lane). It is also Lima’s Bohemian neighborhood on account of its connection to the arts and its bars and restaurants.

One day in Lima

Gihan Tubbeh

Morning

Kennedy Park

Start off with a cup of coffee at one of the cafés that line Parque Kennedy, in the center of Miraflores and along the main thoroughfare Avenida Larco. Afterwards, take a tour of Lima’s historic city center: the Main Square, San Francisco Church and catacombs, the Cathedral, and San Martín Square, etc.

Noon Carlos Sala

San Martín Square

It is now time to stop off and have a drink at any of the traditional bars in the downtown area: the Cordano (Jr. Carabaya), Queirolo (Jr. Quilca), Hotel Maury bar (Jr. Ucayali), or the famous Bar Inglés in the Bolívar Hotel on San Martín Square.

Lunch

Gihan Tubbeh

Head off towards Pueblo Libre, where you can enjoy some of Peru’s delicious food at one of the traditional restaurants there. Once you have lunched, go and visit the Larco Museum to see its impressive collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts.

Excursions from Lima

City of Caral. This 5000 year old archeological complex represents the cradle of the oldest civilization in the Americas, a contemporary of ancient Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia. The architectural complexity of its pyramids and the vestiges found to date show us that this ancient people reached a high level of cultural development. It is in the Supe Valley, 200 km north of Lima.

Michael Tweedle

Caral archeological complex

MAP OF LIMA To La Libertad To ﾃ］cash

LEGEND

To Junﾃｭn

Callao

Pachacamac - Lurﾃｭn

Sacred City of Caral

Lunahuanﾃ｡

Palomino Islands Department border Department capital Paved road

CALLAO

LIMA

Unpaved road Airport

Port

UNESCO World Heritage Site

To Ica

Real Felipe Fortress. Completed in 1774, it is one of the few examples of military architecture built by the Spanish in their American colonies. This mighty fortress defended the port of Callao from pirates and corsairs. Carlos Ibarra

Pachacamac. Located in the Lurin River valley, it is a mud city used by the Lima, Wari, Ychsma, and Incas. This site was the home of Pachacamac, the creator, “That which moves the world”, and the most venerated oracle in the Andean world. Daniel Silva

Palomino Islands. Group of twelve islets off the coast of Callao and home to numerous sea lions and sea birds. You can take a boat ride out to visit them during the day.

Talía Barreda

Lunahuaná. Sunny valley south of Lima and the perfect spot for adventure sports. It is also famous for its piscos (brandy) and wines as well as its river shrimp dishes.

Enrique Castro-Mendívil

Paso horses. You can watch a Peruvian paso horse show at the grounds of the National Breeders and Owners Association in Lurín, just a few kilometers south of Lima. Visitors can ride the horses and enjoy the lovely countryside in the numerous area haciendas. Gihan Tubbeh

Festival

and events calendar

Mamacona

Anniversary of the founding of Lima. January 18th. Celebrated with parades, live music, and popular art fairs. Santiago de Surco Wine Festival. March. At this vineyard and wine festival, you can taste the best wines produced in the district of Santiago de Surco and learn about the traditional methods used in their making. National Peruvian Paso Horse Show. April. The show takes place on the grounds of the Mamacona Hacienda (Lurín), a few kilometers south of Lima. The best Peruvian Paso horse breeders gather together for this event to show off their finest horses in a parade. International Book Fair. July. Important cultural event where Peruvian and foreign writers present and sell their books. Includes musical events and conferences.

Independence Day. July 28 and 29. National celebration featuring public activities like the Te Deum in the cathedral and a traditional military parade down one of Lima’s main street a ended by the country’s leaders. Lima Fest: Latin American Film Festival. August. An international film festival where you can see the best Hispano-American films and meet actors, directors, and screenwriters from all over Peru and the world. Saint Rose of Lima. August 30. A religious feast day for calling to mind the life and miracles of this saint from Lima. There are pilgrimages to her sanctuary, and the faithful toss notes with their wishes wri en on them into the famous wishing well, the same place Rose dropped the key to her cilice.

Daniel Silva

Enríque Castro-Mendívil

Mistura food fair Walter Silvera

Mistura. September. It is the most important food fair in Latin America, bringing together the best representatives of Peru’s food industry as well as famous Peruvian and international chefs. There are taste testing events, contests, sales of native produce, lectures, and workshops. Señor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles). October. Religious services and a massive procession of Catholic faithful following the image of the “Cristo Morado”, patron saint of Lima, through the city streets. During the same month, matadors from around the world compete in the Acho Bullring at the Lord of Miracles Bullfighting Festival. Creole Music Day. October 31st. A celebration of one of the most traditional musical genres on Peru’s coast. There are concerts in parks and squares, as well as shows given by the best Creole performers in bars, peñas, and restaurants.

Procesión del Señor de los Milagros

Useful Information Lodging

A full range of options exist, from 5-star hotels, to boutique hotels, hostels, and lodges.

Air transportation

There is domestic service to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major tourist destinations, and you can check online for prices.

Bus transportation

You can travel practically anywhere in the country by bus, with the exception of certain locations in the Amazon. The amount you pay determines the expected comfort level of the trip.

Taxi service

Several taxi companies operate in Lima 24 hours a day and can take you to and from the airport as well as to other destinations. They own fleets of modern vehicles, use a dispatch service, and publicize on the web. Car rental The main car rental companies have offices in Peru. If you wish to visit some of the more rugged areas of the country, then we suggest renting an all terrain, 4x4 vehicle. Driving in Peru requires you have the following: < ( â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lic < 'opy of your passport < Proof of insurance (SOA < Proof of technical inspection < 2ehicle registr < /ental contract (for a rented vehicle) < + ernational driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license valid for 1 year. Restaurants Peruvian cuisine is famous for its excellence and wide variety. Some dishes can be spicy or intensely seasoned, and each region has its own peculiar culinary style. Safety ( 5 to Peru, it is important that you take the same precautions for personal safety shared by all tourist destinations the world over, such as not leaving your personal items unattended in public areas and avoiding deserted areas at night. Health If you are planning to travel to the Andes, the following will help you avoid experiencing altitude sickness: rest on the first day of your arrival, eat light foods, drink plenty of fluids, and keep lemon drops on hand. If you are planning to travel to the jungle, use insect repellant to protect yourself from bug bites. Also, as a precaution, a yellow fever vaccination must be administered at least 10 days before your trip. If not, it will not be effective. Foods you are not accustomed to eating may also present problems, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat anything that is uncooked or sold by street vendors and only drink bottled or boiled water. If you suffer from heart problems, we recommend you consult your physician before traveling to the highlands.

Visas and customs

Visas for entering Peru are not required for most countries in the Americas and Western Europe. Bolivians, Brazilians, Colombians, Chileans, and Ecuadorians may enter the country just by presenting their national identification documents. The maximum authorized length of stay is 90 days. To remain longer or to stay in the country for other purposes (residency, study, work, etc.), you must request the corresponding visa at the Peruvian consulate in your country of residence prior to traveling.

Currency

Peru’s official currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.), yet the U.S. Dollar is accepted at some local businesses, restaurants, and gas stations at the day’s exchange rate. Euros (€) must be exchanged into Nuevos Soles or U.S. Dollars at the day’s exchange rate.

Foreign exchange

You can exchange euros, dollars, and other foreign currency at authorized exchange agencies, hotels, and banks. We do not recommend this type of transaction on the street.

ATM’s

You can find ATM machines in Peru’s major cities, and these accept a variety of cards.

Credit cards

The most widely accepted credit cards are: American Express, VISA, Diners Club, and MasterCard.

Traveller´s Check

There are limitations to using travelers checks, so we recommend asking at the establishment to see if they are accepted before making purchases or ordering.

Luggage

When you pack your luggage, please review the list of duty free goods found on the following websites: www.aduananet.gob.pe and www.peru.travel.

Weather

Temperate. Sunny in summer (Dec – April) and cloudy in winter (July – Oct.), with some drizzle. Max. temp.: 26ºC / 79ºF Min. temp.: 15ºC / 58ºF

Altitude: 154 meters

Access

International flights arrive at the Jorge Chavez International Airport, and from there, you pick up your connecting flight to domestic destinations. You may also enter the country on international flights from either Chile (via Arequipa) or Bolivia (via Cusco). Major highways cross all bordering countries, and there is a full range of international bus service. Another option is a cruise ship that docks at Callao.

iPerĂş offices

Tourist information and assistance Tel: (51 1) 574-8000 iperu@promperu.gob.pe 24 HOURS www.peru.info Jorge ChĂĄvez International Airport (International and National Departures and Arrivals and public area) Tel/fax: (01) 574-8000 M-Su: 24 hours iperulimaapto@promperu.gob.pe Metropolitan Lima Jorge Basadre 610, San Isidro Tel: (01) 421-1627 / Telfax: (01) 421-1227 M-F 9:00 - 13:00 hours / 14:00 a 18:00 hours iperulima@promperu.gob.pe Larcomar - Miraflores Kiosk 10, Main Plaza Telfax: (01) 445-9400 M-Su 11:00 a 14:00 / 15:00 a 20:00 hours iperularcomar@promperu.gob.pe

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Morro Solar (hill)

Musuk Nolte