Travel Guide & Review: Lima

This is a review of the capital city in Peru, which was the first destination I visited in South America. It was a place I visited during Thanksgiving Week last year before going to Cusco. For me, Lima exceeded my expectations. I won’t compare it to other more popular cities in the world, but I think first-time visitors will find that it’s better than they thought it would be.

Lima is nicknamed the City of Kings, and was founded by Francisco Pizzaro in 1535, although many ruins in the city date back much farther than that. Over the years, Lima has become tourist friendly, and is one of the most culturally important areas in South America. In 2019, the city hosted the Pan Am Games, which was the largest sporting event in the history of the country.

Lima is known for its consistent weather, beaches, and differing districts as well as cuisine.

Quick Facts

Language: Spanish

Currency: Peruvian Sol

International airport: LIM

Railway/train/metro: Lima Metro and El Metropolitano

Official website: Peru Travel in Lima

Transportation

I took a shuttle car to and from the airport/hotel. I took a shuttle bus/van on the Lima City Tour as well as Park of the Reserve Tour by the Tour En Lima group. If you’re on a short stay with limited time, this is a good company to book with at a very affordable rate that can pick you up from your hotel. When in Miraflores, I chose to walk and was able to see a lot of Barranco, Chorillos, and beaches. They do have Uber in Lima, but I didn’t use them while there.

Attractions

Note: These are only attractions that I did see in Lima. I’m looking at visiting the country again, so I’ll add and edit this if that time comes.

Circuito Magico del Agua(Magic Water Circuit)

If you follow my Instagram page, then you know how I’ve raved about this place. This is the largest water fountain complex in the world. In a previous entry on this site, I talked about the Magic Fountain of Montjuic in Barcelona. I loved that a lot. But even that place doesn’t match this one. When it gets dark, every fountain lights up in color. I personally loved Tunnel Fountain and it’s just like it sounds. The Magic Water Fountain show is worth every penny you pay when you enter the park. It lasts for about 15 minutes and combines electronics and water unlike anything you’ve ever seen. While there, I met a new friend named Denisse from Ecuador that spoke very good English. She took photos of me anytime I asked, and I did the same for her. If you come to Lima, make sure you put this on your itinerary.

Plaza de Armas(Main Square)

This is the main square in Lima that has a fountain, Cathedral, Government Palace, and more. You’ll also find a big and colorful Lima sign that many tourists take a pic in front of. I took a city tour here that included a visit inside the Cathedral. This is a lively area of Lima.

Lima Cathedral

As described above, this is in the main square and the Lima Cathedral is easy to identify. You’re allowed to take pictures inside, but because it’s always busy, you might find it challenging at times to get them in without people in the way. Nonetheless, this Cathedral has many paintings, wood carvings, and art for your liking. It’s also home to the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, who was the founder of Lima. That was relocated to the Cathedral in 1985, and that’s one reason tourists visit there.

Miraflores District

Huaca Pucllana

I was on a tour bus when I seen this, and we just drove by it. I was able to get some shots of it. Nonetheless, it’s historic ruins with great views that’s on the way from Miraflores to the Main Square. Since I was short on time, I opted for a tour bus and was only able to go by it. If you have time, walk around and take more photos because it looks impressive going by it.

Larcomar

If you’re staying in the Miraflores district, there’s no way you shouldn’t come here. This is an impressive open-air mall that sits on the cliff and overlooks the Pacific Ocean. That in of itself makes it an attraction. But not only that, there’s restaurants galore and many American-themed shops inside. The open-air mall is perfect for Lima because the city seldom sees rain, and there’s nothing quite like strolling around while seeing views of the ocean and cliffs in Miraflores. As a bonus, I got to see fans of Flamengo celebrate there after they won the Copa Libertadores championship.

El Parque del Amor

This is the Love Park in Miraflores and this is the perfect place for couples. This is the one monument in the entire world dedicated specifically for lovers. So if you’re a couple, that’s more than enough reason to visit(and another to stay in Miraflores when in Lima at that). It sits on a cliff on a six-mile stretch called El Malecón and is close by Larcomar. El Malecón has great beach views, flowers, art, and more. It’s definitely worth exploring since there are plenty of monuments, statues, and more between there and Larcomar.

Chorrillos District

Cristo del Pacifico(Christ of the Pacific)

This sits on a cliff in Chorrillos called Morro Solar, and was obviously inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. It can be seen from Barranco and on a clear day from Miraflores as well. I walked up to it from Miraflores. The neighborhood going up the hill is a low income area and not one I’d recommend going to alone. If I had to do it again, I’d get a taxi. There are plenty of negative reviews about the area, but I do think that it’s exaggerated. I still didn’t get that unsafe feeling though. That said, it sits on a cliff and besides the statue itself, it does give you good views of the cliffs back towards Barranco and Miraflores. If you’re going to this from Miraflores, you can see plenty of statues as well as beaches along the way over, so make sure you have a good camera and battery life on it. Just watch not having valuable items visible once you get closer. Also, be mindful of dogs running around the area, too.

Monument of Unknown Soldier & Monument of Miguel Iglesias

These two sit on the same hill on opposite ends of one another and across from Christ of the Pacific in Morro Solar. Morro Solar is famous for the first battle in Lima during the War of the Pacific when Chile invaded Peru. Miguel Iglesias was the one that raised an army to defend the invasion, despite Chile overwhelming them to defeat. Iglesias became President of Peru after this. The Unknown Soldier monument honors those who died defending Peru against Chile. If you’re going to see Christ of the Pacific, you might as well see this. There’s a Statue of Virgin Mary close by, but I somehow didn’t get pics of it.

Barranco District

Makaha Beach

I decided to get some beach time in while in Lima and went to the Barranco district for that. Makaha Beach is where you’ll see plenty of surfing and volleyball games going on. You’ll also see reefs, a pier, and rocks for great viewing and photos to be taken at just like the picture above. If you’re this close to the shore, there’s no way you shouldn’t go to a beach while in Lima. If you’re staying in Miraflores, then Makaha Beach isn’t that far away for you to go to.

Hotel

Best Western Urban Larco Hotel

There are two Best Western chains in Miraflores, but this one is the closest to Larcomar and beaches. It’s only two blocks away from Larcomar. I was able to get this hotel by using points, but I do recall it being about $80-90 a night in November. Stay on the top floor if you can with ocean views like I was able to get. They offer airport shuttle service in upscale cars and you can pay that in USD cash if you let them know. When I arrived, one of the hosts showed me to my room and explained everything that they have and how they work. He also told me what was close by to eat and attractions close to them, too. Their breakfast is plentiful with variety and the staff is very professional. There’s a lot of good choices in Miraflores, and this is an affordable one close to everything in the area.

Restaurant/grocery

Pardo’s Chicken

If you’re a fan of rotisserie chicken, this is a must. I sat next to a woman from Lima on my flight there from Miami and this is the first restaurant she told me to visit. They have one at Larcomar and a few throughout Peru. It reminded me a lot of the Viva Chicken chain in North Carolina where I live and I love that place. This one is even better because of the setting. They are busy most of the time, but the wait is not long. I ate there twice when in Lima, so that’s how good it was.

My thoughts on Lima

First, Lima is more developed than you think it is. Peru is a developing country, and Lima has come a long way towards being tourist-friendly in recent years. I’ve seen a lot mentioned on this in reviews. But I wanted to get that out of the way first.

Yes, there are water shortage issues due to lack of rain they get as well as pollution issues. With that said, DO NOT drink tap water there. I was also told by locals not to do this and this was after I read reviews not to. Buy bottled water instead.

One thing to be leery of – as I was told this by one of my hotel shuttle drivers – is to make sure all your luggage gets put in the trunk of the vehicle before you depart. If not, this could mean you are being setup to be mugged. He was telling me that if you have items visible from the car, someone can break the windows and steal it. Drivers can set you up by driving to the wrong area for them to break in to steal your stuff. He said it’s not as big of a problem now, but always make sure your luggage is in the trunk of the vehicle you’re in when in Lima. On that same note, pay attention to the car styles and never just get into any vehicle. Of course, that last line can be said for any city.

As one can expect when visiting a capital and busy city, Lima traffic gets congested at times. Give yourself extra time going to the airport and into the center, too. It will take you an hour from Miraflores to get to the airport during the day and it’s only about 8-10 miles from there by map.

All this takes nothing away from the time I had in Lima. Lima is a wonderful city that has some of the best kept secrets in terms of attractions, lodging, and food in the world. People are amazing here and you’ll find many that speak English if you don’t know Spanish or are limited on it. In fact, I could live in Miraflores, so that should also tell you something. Hey, I do like beach cities! Don’t let the previous paragraphs fool you into thinking not to come here. Those are just things to be aware of and that’s also from listening to locals who know their city. Other than that, take travel precautions like you would anywhere else.

Like many South American destinations, Lima takes U.S. Dollars for payment on many things. Because I hadn’t went by an ATM to pull out Peruvian Sols, I had USD on me to pay for my ride from the airport to the hotel. I found out from one of the hosts that you can pay for things in USD. He said, “Money is money”. You’ll also find that at some places when you check out, you’ll see the price in both Sols and USD so that you don’t have to guess how much is coming off your card if you pay that way. You can also withdraw both Sols and USD out of ATMs because I did that myself at Larcomar the morning after I arrived. But regardless of what hotel/hostel you stay at, it’s better to let them know you’re paying in USD ahead of time. That’s still very convenient for Americans.

The place to stay at while there is in Miraflores. It’s a very upscale area and you can walk around freely. I never once felt unsafe there and you’ll never struggle to find restaurants to eat at. Larcomar has it all with places to eat(even American-themed restaurants like Chili’s), shop, and take in views of the Pacific Ocean from the cliffs as the unique open-air mall will fascinate you. If you like rotisserie chicken, go to Pardo’s Chicken there. They have a few of them in Peru. I’m not a mall guy, but Larcomar gets a high recommendation from me. You’d be hard-pressed to find a mall with this kind of setting.

The Magic Water Circuit is a must-see. I know my friend Denisse will back me up on this because she loved that place, too. The Main Square, Cathedral, Barranco, and the beaches are reasons to come here as well.

If you like good weather, Lima is as consistent as you’ll see. I went in November and that is when the temperatures will be about 80F. It seldom gets below 55F and above 85F during any time of year. The warmer months, however, are between November to March. That’s when you’ll see that the beaches are more crowded, but it’s still worth it to go that time of year if you want a beach getaway.

As far as affordability, if you book ahead of time, Lima is a cheap destination to visit. This goes for hotels and flights, and plenty of flights go to there from Miami if you’re an American. You’ll very likely have to connect in Miami to go there and most other big airports in South America.

Lima is not perfect and it does have some of the problems you see in other big, capital cities. It’s a vastly improved city for tourists and has plenty in the way of all-around attractions that are worth seeing there. I was told a number of times by Peruvians(and plenty of Lima residents) thanking me for visiting their country. You’ll likely hear it a lot there if you’re a tourist from another country.

Lima will always be a special place to me since it was my first South American destination I went to. I’ll never forget the customs line at Lima airport being full of Flamengo fans flying in to support their club as it took almost two hours to get through before going to my hotel. And, I met a new friend while there in Lima, so the stay in there was made that much better. While most everyone thinks of Machu Picchu and Cusco when they think of Peru(those two places are worth every bit of the hype for sure), some miss out on what Lima has to offer. And they offer plenty. Give Lima a visit if you come to Peru!