Lima (City of Kings)
(154 meters) above sea level |
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Map of Lima |
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World Heritage Site
In the north is the city of Caral, the oldest civilization of America, and to the south is the Archaeological Complex of Pachacamac. Lima’s history predates the colonial presence in the country. The establishment of the viceroyalty transformed the city into the main political and administrative center of South America. During this period, significant churches, monasteries, mansions and balconies were built. The arrival of modernity didn’t transform the historic center, which is recognized as a World Heritage Site.
Museums with great works of art, archaeological sites, beaches, the boardwalk, valleys, natural reserves, the nightlife, the thrill of adventure sports, and the exquisite cuisine gives Peru’s capital an authentic personality and makes tourism in Lima a unique experience in the country.
Location: On the west central coast of Peru, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Extension: Metropolitan Lima: 2,817 km2.
The outskirts of Lima also have their fair share of attractions. From Callao, you can take a boat
ride to visit sea lions and marine birds that find shelter on the Palomino Islands, and, for the more
adventuresome, sail out to the continental shelf and watch whales sporting in the waves. South of the city is Pachacamac, a pre-Hispanic complex that was site of the most important pilgrimage shrine in ancient Peru. And a short distance north sits the remains of Caral, the oldest city in the Americas, built 5,000 years ago.
Routes & length of stay
3 Days(minimum |
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Recommended for Lima
- People interested in Spanish Colonial landmarks, who have access to a large number of churches, homes and other landmarks such as the Muralla de Lima (wall of Lima) and Fort Real Felipe.
- Archeology buffs, who must visit Caral and Pachacámac.
- Cultural tourism enthusiasts, who visit the city’s numerous and noteworthy museums.
- Bird watchers, who cannot miss to visit the Pantanos de Villa and the Palomino islands in Callao.
- Surfing in the beaches of Lima, gliding, rafting, kayaking and mountain cycling in Lurín.
- Lovers of fine food, who will find a smorgasbord of options, all delicious and different from each other.
- Handicraft collectors, who need to find their way to the tourist markets called “Indian Markets and shopping malls”.
What to buy?
Crafts from all corners of Peru can be bought at the tourist markets of Miraflores and Pueblo Libre.
Fine clothing made of alpaca and vicuña wool can be purchased at exclusive stores.
There are plenty of shopping malls in the city, the best ones being Jockey Plaza and Larcomar.
The street Avenida La Paz, in Miraflores, is well known for its antique dealers.
Jewelry stores offer exquisite gold and silver pieces.
What to eat?
Called the Gastronomic Capital of the Americas, Lima boasts a grand international table that in many cases is a fusion of different tastes, like the Nikkei, which combines Japanese cooking with Peruvian. Such emblematic dishes as lomo saltado (type of stir fried sirloin strips, a blending of Chinese and Peruvian cooking) are an expression of this marriage, too. Like any other coastal city, Lima owes much to the fish and seafood gotten from the ocean. Cebiches, arroz con mariscos (rice with seafood) and conchitas a la chalaca (mussels covered with onions and chili peppers) are dishes of mass consumption and can be found sold from sidewalk vendors to the most refined of restaurants. Pasta also has a strong presence in Lima cuisine, but it is impossible to stop there; the creativity of its chefs allow for daring combinations, like sea bass flambéed in pisco brandy and served with squid and asparagus risotto. Peruvian Creole cooking has a fine showing on the menu, as well, with dishes like ají de gallina (chicken and milk stew), anticuchos (barbecued beef hearts marinated in a spicy chili pepper sauce), mazamorra morada (purple corn pudding) and the ever present cocktail, the pisco sour. And there is more: all the flavors of the nation, from the jungle to the mountains, northern and southern, have found their way into the capital city, joined hands and enriched Lima.
Typical dishes lima
- Cebiche: His oldest antecedent is the custom that the Indians of the north coast of Peru were eating raw fish. Sometimes the fish was marinated in juice lie, a fruit of tropical climate. Along with the Spanish arrived lemon. And citrus juice of this fruit replaced the lie. The basic preparation consists of fresh fish filet cut into pieces and cooked in lemon. It silt pepper and onion chips it adds. And of course, the skilled hand of the Peruvian cook. The garrison that accompanies it is depending on location and the region. Can be a boiled potato, a potato boiled a choclo and cancha (toasted corn).
- Tiradito: The popular wisdom devised similar to ceviche but without chips onion dish. The preparation is the same as the ceviche. Only instead of squares, the fish is cut into strips.
- Carapulcra: It is the oldest one is aware that mestizo dish. Actually, it is an indigenous stew prepared with dried potato casserole style with pork and chicken, panca and mirasol chili, garlic and other spices. Naturally, the latter ingredients added the Spanish conquistador. But the black slave decided to include peanuts, originally from America, which gave him an inimitable forcefulness.
- Lomo saltado: Chopped beef tenderloin slices, sautéed with onions, tomatoes, chili and various herbs. It served with fries and rice.
- Causa rellena: Pasta yellow potatoes seasoned with red pepper, stuffed with tuna. It can also be filled with chicken. And in some restaurants of the first level the present with crabmeat.
Gastronomy House – Gastronomy Tours in Lima
The museum offers a tour through over 500 years of history and ancient wisdom, up to the fusion of flavours and the influence of other cultures on Peruvian cuisine. Located in the house of Lima's old Post Office, next...
Church and Santuary of Saint Rose of Lima
The Church of Saint Rosa was built at the place where Santa Rosa of Lima (the patron saint of Lima and the Philippines) was born. The Dominican sister established in her parents' home a hospital for the poor. Here...
San Pedro Church – Religious Tourism
Lima’s baroque Church of San Pedro was built in grand style by the Jesuits in 1638. The Jesuit Order’s premier church in Peru, it’s also one of the country’s finest buildings. With its three naves and dome, the church...
Monastery of santo Domingo – Lima Cathedral
The Church and Convent of Santo Domingo date back to the end of the 16th century. The church is famous in Lima for being the only one with a «real» steeple, which in consequence of the construction over several...
San Francisco Church – Religius Tours in Lima
You can’t walk more than a few blocks in downtown Lima without stumbling upon another colonial church. Catholic religious congregations were each allotted a piece of land in the early days of the city, and most of them erected...
Miraflores Boardwalk – City Tours in Miraflores
When getting to know the capital city of Peru, head straight to the neighborhood of Miraflores for a scenic introduction to Lima’s charms. Taking cues from its name, Miraflores is peppered with flowerbeds and grassy parks, just calling for...
Shopping Center Larcomar – Miraflores Larcomar
Along the seawalk in the Miraflores district is Larcomar a multilevel entertainment, food and shopping megacomplex that caters to most tastes. The first thing you’ll notice about Larcomar is that you cannot see it. The entire complex is built into...
Historic Centre of Lima – City Tour Lima
The Historic Centre of Lima has been a leading city in the New World from its foundation in 1535 by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The centre covers both banks of the river Rimac (after which the city was named)....
Huaca Pucllana – Museo de Sitio Huaca
The Archaeological Complex «Huaca Pucllana» was an Administrative and Ceremonial Center of the Lima Culture, a society that developed at the Peruvian Central Coast between 200 AD and 700 AD. Located in today’s district of Miraflores the «Huaca Pucllana»...
Lima Reserve Park – Water Park Lima
Eight decades after its inauguration, the Parque de la Reserva keeps the tradition and elegance which made it into one of the most important public areas of olden-day Lima. Standing between Avenues Petit Thouars and Arequipa on Santa Beatriz,...
Museo Larco – Museo Herrera Lima
There are many public and private museums in Lima, but none as unique or pleasing as the Larco Museum. Housed in a former mansion, itself built on the site of a pre-Columbian temple, the museum offers a varied collection...
The Cathedral of Lima – Cathedral Tours in Lima
One of the major attractions of Lima in Peru is the historic Lima Cathedral (Catedral de Lima) . Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish explorer credited with having founded the city of Lima in 1535, laid the cornerstone of this basilican Cathedral. The...
Lunahuaná – River Resort Lunahuana
This is a very fertile land where orchards and vineyards stretch along both sides of the Cañete River. Perfect for adventure sports or open-air activities, including rafting, mountain biking and hiking. It offers a varied cuisine, as well as...
Pachacamac Town – Pachacamac Ruins
Visiting Hours: Daytime. Location: 31 km south of Lima. Lima – Peru One of the last valleys of Lima. Visitors can take a tour through the Plaza de Armas and the Pisco Museum, followed by a walk through the Green Ravine...
Mamacona Estate – Tours in Mamacona
Visiting Hours: Daytime. Location: Km 25 on the Panamericana Sur. 20 minutes from Lima. Lima – Perú A traditional manor house, whose owners have been involved in breeding Peruvian Paso horses for years. Twice a week they put on...
Pachacámac Archaeological Complex – Full Day Pachacamac
Pacha Kamaq (Quechua, «Creator of the World»; also Pacha Camac) was the deity worshipped in the city of Pachacamac by the Ichma. The temple of Pachacamac is an archaeological site 40 km southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley...
Caral – tours Caral Peru
Visit the oldest known city in the Americas on this private day trip to Caral! From Lima, travel with your guide to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Caral, an archeological site where you’ll see ancient artifacts and structures like bone flutes, dusty...
Creole Song Day – Perfect Day Song Creole
This special day you would hear the sound of guitars and the “cajón peruano”. These musical instruments give rhythm to marinera, tondero, festejo, landó, and zamacueca which are five samples of the creole music. Couples dance with frantic movements...
Lord of Miracles – Land of The Miracle
This image attracts the largest number of South American devotees. It dates back to colonial times when a black slave painted the image on the walls of a run-down property. In spite of earthquakes and attempts to erase it,...
Saint Rose of Lima – Peru attractions Saint Rose of Lima
Saint Rose of Lima is the name that made Isabel Flores de Oliva famous. She was a pious woman from Lima who lived there in the XVII Century, who had a huge religious inclination and was given to serving...
Peruvian Paso Horse National Competition – Peruvian Horse
The contest takes place in Mamacona, at the foot of the Pre-Inca Pachacamac Oracle. The Peruvian Paso horse is the result of Spanish and Berber breed of races for 300 years. It trots in a series of synchronized movements...
Wine Harvest Festival – Peruvian Wine
01-February to 31-March The traditional district of Santiago de Surco organises various activities on these dates, such as the election of a Harvest Queen and visits to wineries for wine-testing sessions. The Wine Festival (Festival de la Vendimia) involves fairs,...
Lima Anniversary
18-January to 18-January On January 18th, Lima will celebrate its 480th founding anniversary. The City of Kings always marks the event in style, with weeks of events. Unfortunately, the official program has yet to be announced, but we’ll be checking...
