Lima and Peru

Peru Capital, the begining of a great journey

Visiting Lima and Peru is an unforgettable experience, the city is usually the begining of the journey if you are flying into the country. I fully recommend to spend a few days in this amazing city where I lived for 20 years.

First, the basic stuff, Lima is the Peru capital and largest city of the country. It is located overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the West. Lima is the 5th largest city in Latin America, behind Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.

Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador, on January 18, 1535, as 'The City of Kings'. About one-third of the Peruvian population lives in the metropolitan area and the official language is Spanish.

Lima and Peru people in general, are very friendly, the Peru Capital offers so much entertainment, historical sites, beaches, quality museums and fine restaurants, that you will be gladly impress (pls take my word for it, the food is just delicious).

One of the main festivities is celebrated in October, 'Señor de los Milagros', the saint of Lima. A series of parades are out in the streets with followers wearing purple robes with lots of reverent singing, music and incense. The main bullfighting season also starts in October,

Lima Historic Centre

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Lima is the Historic Centre. You can see so many beautiful balconies that were built in the viceroyalty era as well as in the republic. The Archbishop Palace is a popular tourist attraction too, its construction started in 1535. The historic centre of Lima was declared a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1988.

The Archbishop Palace

The Basilica Cathedral of Lima, which has become one of the main symbols of the city, was initially constructed the same year the city was founded, 1535 . There you will see a colorful chapel with the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador that conquered the Inca Empire and founded the City of Lima.

The Lima Cathedral

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco was constructed in the seventeenth century and is made up by the church and the convent of San Francisco, as well as of the chapels of the Solitude and the Miracle. Here you will find the Museum of Religious Art. Under the complex, you can visit a network of underground galleries and catacombs that were a cementery at the colonial time.

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
© Christophe Meneboeuf

The Plaza San Martín is one of the most representative public spaces of the Peru Capital, Lima. It is located within the Historic Centre too and there is a monument honoring Peru´s liberator, Jose de San Martin, in the center of the plaza. It was inaugurated on July 27, 1921 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the independence of Peru.

Plaza San Martin © Manuel González Olaechea

Lima Museums

If you visit Lima and Peru, you will want to witness a piece of this country superb cultural legacy. Peru Capital concentrate the majority of museums within the country. I fully recommend you to take some time to visit some of the following fantastic museums:

Museo Nacional de Arqueología Antropología e Historia del Perú

Museum of Art of Lima

The Museum of Natural History

The Museum of the Nation

The Museum of Gold

Larco Museum

The museums listed above, mostly focus on art, pre-Colombian cultures, natural history and religion.

Lima Related Info

City Tour Lima
Lima will impress you with its Pre-Inca pyramids surrounding the city, beautiful beaches, good museums, an active nightlife, fun bars, great restaurants, and the charisma of its people.

Lima Peru Airport
The Lima Peru Airport is the main Airport in the country. It is located in Callao, 11 kilometers from Lima City Centre.

Callao Peru
Callao Peru is regarded by many people as a seaside suburb of Lima, in fact, it is certainly a city but can not avoid being overshadowed by its proximity to the capital of Peru, Lima.

The Capital of Peru
Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, the capital of Peru, Lima, lies along the banks of the Rimac River. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this "city of Kings" has rapidly transformed into a cosmopolitan melting pot, rich with a variety of cultures while maintaining its Peruvian heritage.

Lima Weather
Weather in Lima is very mild, there is very little rainfall throughout the year. Some people in the Peru Capital, never used an umbrella in their lives.

Lima Shopping
Typical peruvian souvenirs, alpaca (sweaters, ponchos, rugs, coats and blankets), jewelery, handcrafts, inca art, etc. Find it in Lima shopping centres and markets.

Lima Peru Hotels
Lima Peru hotels satisfy any exquisite taste and any high demand, it is highly reccommended to make a research before booking.

Lima Main Districts

Miraflores
Miraflores Lima Peru is now a thriving district, safe and very important in Lima, for their great commercial movement, culture and tourism.

San Isidro
San Isidro Peru is one of the most beautiful, traditional and historic districts of Lima., it has a huge amount of green areas. The Olivar Park has several olive trees planted for more than four centuries and was declared a National Monument in 1959.

Barranco Lima
Barranco Peru is a pleasing Lima suburb whose character remains, where the city has lost much of its own. It's the heart of the bohemian section of the city. Sitting on the sea, it feels like a small, separate town.

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