Lima

Introduction

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Peru's capital and its largest city, Lima dates back to 1535 when it was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Owing to its prominent colonial history, it is home to a good selection of old churches, cloisters and monasteries for visitors' enjoyment. Lima is one of the world's most populous cities, home to almost 8 million inhabitants.

Neighbourhoods

• Miraflores is the area where the more affluent population of Lima live and work. At the heart of this neighbourhood is Parque Kennedy, an explosion of green in an otherwise grey city. Surrounding this park and in the streets leading from it are numerous restaurants and bars offering all kinds of traditional and world cuisine. Probably the largest attraction, a short walk from the park, is Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Incan adobe pyramid recently discovered which can be seen towering over its neighbours. Entrance costs a few Sols and includes a guided tour.
• Lima Centro is home to large parts of Lima's colonial heritage, including the Plaza Mayor and its accompanying cathedrals. Mixed in among the colonial buildings are large department stores if you fancy some shopping, or, if you'd prefer to relax, a number of bars and restaurants.
• Pueblo Libre is located 15 minutes away from the town centre and from the airport. There you will find the famous Peruvian taverns: the Queirolo and the Bolivariano where you will be able to try the local specialities. But this district is particularly famous for the Museo Larco, the most prestigious pre-Columbian art museum in Peru. It showcases more than 4,000 years of History and contains the most important Gold, Silver, and Jewelry collection, it is also very well appreciated for the erotic collection. Its storage area is open to the public. Outside the museum, a blue line will lead you to the Museo de Arqueologica, Antropologia e Historia del Peru.

Sights and Activities

• The Museo Larco was founded in 1926 by Peruvian archaeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle, provides a comprehensive overview of 4,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. It is located in an 18th century vice-royal mansion built atop a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by a stunning garden. The museum features the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru and the famous Erotic Gallery, one of Peru's most visited attractions. Visitors have the unique opportunity to enter the storage area and see 45,000 classified archaeological objects. There is also the Café del Museo restaurant and the Museum Gallery Shop which sells certified replicas of the Museum's most exceptional artefacts. Larco Museum's masterpieces are icons of pre-Columbian art and are permanently being exhibited in the world's most important museums.
• Huaca Pucllana is a large pre-Incan temple in Miraflores.
• Museo Nacional houses a massive collection of artifacts from across Peru and its many thousands of years of history. Expect to take the best part of a morning or afternoon following the trail from Peru's ancient past up to the more recent Incan period, where Peru's history apparently stops. The museum is well laid out and houses some amazing pieces. It is located out in the suburbs and is probably best reached by taxi.
• Bike Tours of Lima, offers the possibility to do a city tour in Lima in a very exciting way. The bike tours cover the most traditional and typical spots of the city and are carried out mainly over bike lanes, beautiful parks, wide sidewalks, one way streets and always on flat areas. The tours are suitable for people of all ages and levels. It is located in a central location in the heart of Miraflores.
• Surfing is possible along the coastline and there is a small surfing school located on the ocean in Miraflores at Playa Costa Verde beach. Board, wet suite and lessons for day go for a 50 sols. To get there walk down Malecon Balta to the bluffs then take the path to the ocean.
• Parasailing from the bluffs above Miraflores is a great adventure. They leave from the look out just north of Playa Costa Verde beach and it is US$50 for 15 minutes.

Events and Festivals

Weather

As you'd expect from a city on the edge of a desert, rain is rare, strangely however it is usually grey and cloudy thanks to the Humboldt current. Expect it to be warm and dry, between 20 °C in winter (June to September) and 28 °C in summer (January to April). Nights are between 14 °C in winter and 20 °C in summer.

Getting There

By Plane

Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) is located about 11 kilometres from downtown Lima, in Callao. It's about 17 kilometres to Miraflores and it's the busiest airport in Peru and one of the busiest in South America.
Some of the main destinations with connections from Lima include Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Madrid, Toronto, Miami, Bogota, Houston, New York, Panama City, Atlanta, Amsterdam, San José, Los Angeles, Santiago, Caracas, Cuzco, Guayaquil, La Paz, Quito, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sao Paulo, Havana, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, San Salvador and Santo Domingo.

Remember for departing international flights there is a departure tax of US$30 that has to be paid in cash, dollars or sols. Most international carriers prepay this fee but you won't find this out till you check in. For domestic flights there is a much smaller departure tax. If on an international flight make sure to arrive to the airport at least 2 hours before you flight because the exit procedure can take an extremely long time, especially if you are on one of the countless flights that leave around midnight everyday. For domestic flights 1.5 hours should be fine and the procedure is very quick.

Transport to and from the airport is available by bus, van or taxi, it takes about 20 minutes from Miraflores to reach the airport by taxi. Lima is also the hub for domestic air travel in Peru and flights from here will take you to every major city in Peru.

By Car

The roads around Lima are good, but the traffic in Lima is frequently busy with traffic jams at rush hours.

By Bus

All the major bus companies have terminals in Lima, these are frequently in the suburbs and you'll likely need to get a taxi or local bus into the centre. Buses travel from Lima to the major cities in Peru such as Cusco, Arequipa and Trujillo.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

Lima is sprawling but easily navigable, but beware of the traffic it will slow you down and the drivers can be erratic at times.

By Public Transport

Smaller buses run across the city and you can easily hail taxis throughout the city.

By Foot

Walking around a single suburb such as Centro or Miraflores is feasible, however Lima is a large place and you may find it easier to use public transport to move between areas of the city.

By Bike

It's possible to cycle around the city, but given the traffic it probably wouldn't be ideal.

Eat

There's a profusion of restaurants in all suburbs, usually along or just off of the major roads and Plazas. You will be able to find local food to most types of world cuisine across a range of budgets.

• The Café del Museo offers its customers a sample of the best Peruvian fusion cuisine. The homemade, varied menu of Café del Museo rediscovers flavors, products and customs in Peru. All Peruvian regions, which are visited in Museo Larco, are present in Café del Museo’s menu, proving that Peru is also a wonderful gastronomic destination. Located on a terrace in the beautiful gardens of the museum, this restaurant overlooks the pre-Columbian pyramid and vice royal mansion that holds Larco Collection. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 9:00am - 6:00pm. Av. Bolivar 1515, Pueblo Libre. Phone: 4624757. E-mail: cafedelmuseo@museolarco.org.

Drink

Sleep

As you would expect in a major city there is a wide range of accommodation.

Budget

Loki Hostel (also known as Incahaus) - Avenida Larco 189, Miraflores. Tel: 01-2424350. Located on the edge of Parque Kennedy, opposite McDonalds, lies this popular hostel. It's a good place to meet up with other travellers and they offer work for food and board. Some private rooms are available but it is largely dorm room accommodation. Rates are from US$8per night:

More budget options in Lima, including travellers ratings, are:

Mid-Range

• Hotel kamana Jr Camana, Lima Centro. tel: 01-4277106. Large hotel near to the Plaza Mayor, it has decent, clean rooms although you can hear your neighbours quite well through the bathroom window!

Upscale

Hotels near the Airport

There are three hotels/hostels that are within reasonable distance of the aiport: The Las Terrazas Hotel, Hostel el Caribe and the Ramada Hotel. Check the Lima Airport Hotels website for more details about prices.

The Ramada Hotel (4-star) is located right in the airport, but is very pricy. Mid-ranged is the Las Terrazas Hotel (3 star) - about 10 minutes by car and is clean and comfortable. The cheapest is by fate the Hostel el Caribe (approximately 5 minutes by car), but many budget travellers have given this hostel poor reviews.

Work

Learn

• University of Lima

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés abound in the more affluent areas such as Miraflores and Lima Centro.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls.

Pay phones are located around the city, most commonly on major roads.

Post

Check the Serpost website, the national postal service (a private company), for more information about prices and options regarding the sending of postcards, letters and parcels. The post service is relatively efficient and post offices can be found in most cities and (larger) towns. Post offices generally are open from 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Saturday and some are open on Sundays from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Postcards are available from street vendors and shops at any touristy area, and stamps are generally available as well, though sometimes only at the post office itself. It takes at least 10 days to send a postcard to North America and prices start at S/5.5. To Europe it is S/7.8 and it takes even a bit longer, around 2 weeks. For little extra money, you can choose 'expresso' services. For large parcels and quantities, you can use both Serpost or a company like DHL which is faster and offers the same prices, though it is still relatively expensive. UPS for some reason is much more expensive in Peru!

External Links

• Official Governmental Website