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Inhabitants: about 9 million in the conurbation area
City
map
How to get there
Peru is a very strongly centralised country and therefore the capital
Lima is doubtlessly the country's main traffic junction. If you
travel from Europe to Peru it is impossible to avoid a stay in Lima.
The airport in Lima is situated in the district of Callao (which is on the other side of Lima from the districts where tourists usually stay) but depending
on the traffic situation the districts of San Isídro and Miraflores
can be reached by taxi in 30 minutes to an hour. Moreover the various
bus companies, which are the main transportation in Peru, have depots
throughout the city.
Best time to travel
Peru's metropolis is always worth a visit. For those wanting to visit
the capital by sunshine instead of the garúa (the coast
fog that is present throughout the winter) should come to Lima in the summer from November to
April.
Please note that the sun might not get through the fog even in the
Peruvian summer and thus it is most advisable to take along warm
clothing next to the light summer garment.
Activities
Museums, gastronomy, shopping, night life, anything is possible in Lima.
Sporting activities within the city include paragliding and cycling. The long waves
along Lima's Costa verde also invite many surfers.
Festivals
In January Lima celebrates its founding. On 28 July the whole country
starts with the independence festivities. Of course there is a huge
parade to watch on the Plaza de Armas.
With impressive processions on the 18th, 19th and 28th of October, the citizens
worship their lord of miracles, Señor de los Milagros.
A giant picture of a black Christ (1.5 tons in weight) is carried through
the streets and thousands of pilgrims follow in a special procession.
Accommodation
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Lima is situated right at the coast, 133 m above sea level. On
18 January 1535 the emperor Francisco Pizarro founded the city with
the name Ciudad de los Reyes. The "City of Kings and Vicekings"
apart from Mexico was one of the most important cities on the
American colonies only a few decades after its foundation. In 1551
some Benedictian monks joined the Universidad San Marcos in founding
South America's first university.
Lima got its name from the river Rimac that winds its way through
the town. The Spanish name never really stuck and it's original Inca name remained in use. Rimac means "speaker" in the Quechuan language.
Nowadays Lima is a very modern and attractive city with districts
like San Isidro and Miraflores where most of Lima's financial and
commercial activities take place. It is here where the best and
nicest hotels are located. The district Barranco is the area where a lot of artists and musicians live and is very well known in Lima for its nightlife and entertainment.
With its 22 districts and about 9 million inhabitants, Lima is one
of Latin America's biggest cities and the financial and
political centre of the country.
The historic centre of Lima, assigned World Cultural Heritage
by the UNESCO is a representative example of colonial architecture
in its highest form. The environment around the Plaza
Mayor is especially worth seeing. Lima is also famous for its numerous museums
which host precious archaeological collections. The National Museum
of Anthropology and Archaeology, the Larco-Herrera-Museum and the
Museo de Oro, just to mention a few.
Furthermore the Criollo cuisine seduces many travellers with
exquisite seafood dishes which are prepared and offered in a variety of restaurants.
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Plaza Mayor and the historical Center in Limas
Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas, as it is more commonly known is in the historical centre of the
town and is the place where Francisco Pizarro founded the city. Almost
300 years later, in 1821 Peru declared its independence. On the
benches that surround the square you can watch the buzzling crowd
and let Lima's flair capture you.
The unification of state and church, which was so important under
Spanish occupation is best represented by the close locations of
the Palacio de Gobierno (the government palace), Municipalidad (mayor's
hall) and the Cathedral of Lima. The fountain in the middle of the
well-groomed place is point zero for measuring any distance in Peru.
Palacio de Gobierno
Still today Peru's current president resides in Government Palace
which can be visited with a previously arranged appointment. The
interior exhibits several significant paintings. The changing of
the guards takes place in front of the building and can be watched
in the mornings.
Church La Merced
The church La Merced is a splendid example for colonial architecture.
The richly decorated façade as well as the sacristy, which is decorated
in arabic style are worth seeing. Moreover La Merced hosts one of
the most significant collection of paintings and sculptures of colonial
Lima.
Cathedral in Lima
The Cathedral's foundation walls date back to the year 1555. After
being destroyed by an earthquake in 1746 the cathedral had to be
rebuilt to its present appearance, combining
baroque and classical elements with renaissance forms. The interiour
contains marvelously ornamented altars, handcarved choir seats and
altars covered in gold leaf as well as a collection of valuable sculptures
and 17th and 18th century paintings. Additionally Francisco Pizarro's body was placed here and his tomb may be visited as it is on display with a large painted mural depicting his landing in Peru.
Mayor's Hall
This building of the municipality was built in 1943/44 and is
worth a visit just to see the richly adorned traditional 'balcones' (carved, wood balconies typical of colonial buildings).
The Mayor occasionally speaks from the balcony to
the citizens.
Monastery San Francisco
This Franciscan monastery is also located in Lima's centre. After
being destroyed by an earthquake in 1646 it was replaced by
a smaller complex. Inside some interesting paintings as well as
a tremendous library containing 15,000 books and old manuscripts dating
back to the 15th century. The one hour
tour through the wonderful atmosphere is highly recommended. After
taking a glance at the library, the chapel and the inner courtyard
that are bedecked with tiles from Seville you will descend in the
catacombs which were used in colonial times to house the bodies of Lima's dead.
Museums
The range of museums to choose to visit in Lima is wide with diverse
fields and themes.
A visit to Lima's anthropologically and archeologically oriented
museums is the perfect start for a round trip, but other museums base exhibitions on topics such as the Spanish inquisition or pre-Columbian textiles, there is even a museum exhibiting skulls that have undergone pre-Colubian brain surgery.
- Museo de la Nación
- Museo de Oro del Peru y Armas
del Mundo
- Museo Nacional de Antropología
y Arqueología
- Museo Arqueológico
Rafael Larco Herrera
- Museo Amano
- Museo de Arte de Lima
- Museo del Tribunal de la Santa Inquisición
Click here for further information on Lima's
museums.
Magical fountain park
Since July 2007, the historic city centre of Lima offers a new attraction:
the Circuito Mágico de Agua, an impressive collection of water fountains, situated in a very well maintained
inner city park. In the evening
the different fountains are illuminated with multi coloured lights
and classical music played, to which the lights change in synchronisity with the water direction and flow. A special attraction here is the water
maze, where the visitor can try their luck at trying not to get wet from the water jets that come from the ground.
Barranco
The district of Barranco is known in Lima as the bohemian district of the city. It is particularly well known for its nightlife. Traditional
live music can be listened to in 'peñas'. These peñas are bar/restaurants where live performances are enacted of traditional Peruvian folklore, musicians play traditioonal Peruvian music, such as 'festejo' on traditional instruments like the 'cajon', people dance and interact with the performence and eat creollo cusine. Barranco also provides charming scenery for a walk during the day as well, starting
at the Plaza Barranco one can walk through this district that is characterized by beautiful architecture and narrow alleys.
One such street leads down to the sea and is called the 'Bajada de los Baños'. Crossing over this walkway is the 'Puente de los Suspiros' or 'The Bridge of Sighs'. Crossing this bridge will lead you to a
viewing point where you can enjoy a magnificent view of Lima's bay.
On clear days you can even see Callao in the South of the city.
Miraflores
Miraflores is a very lively district where amongst hotels and restaurants, many shops and travel agencies can be found. It is home to large branches of the main Peruvian
banks, international companies and high street shops. Miraflores has a much more cosmopolitan air about it than other districts of Lima, as does its neighbouring district of San Isidro (although San Isidro tends to be more exclusive). Miraflores can be a place to relax in one of the parks and is definitely a destination
to have a delicious lunch or dinner. Larcomar is a shopping
centre situated on the cliff top of the Costa Verde, where you have a wide
view over the beaches and the sea.
Miraflores has an archaeological site situated in the middle of its residential area. Huanaca
Pucllana is an adobe pyramid shaped complex and has a small museum and tour that explains this interesting pre-Columbian site.
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