After three months in Ecuador (and nine months of travel), we have arrived in Peru. All flights in and out of Peru go through the capital city of Lima which is a top destination for fine dining and exceptional food. In fact, Lima has two restaurants out of the top ten in the world; so, we decided to stay for two weeks to take advantage of the dining, museums, and archeological sites.

Lima, with a population of 9.5 million, borders the Pacific Ocean and covers 1,500 square miles. The city is surrounded by desert and due to ocean currents and location, during the winter (May through November) the city is foggy and cloudy. Temperatures are consistently in the 60’s during this period.

Parks

Lima has a boardwalk and many parks that hug the bluffs high above the ocean coast with spectacular ocean views. In this tourist area, there are large penthouse apartments, restaurants, and recreation zones. We enjoyed walking along the bluffs to enjoy the amazing views and ocean breezes.

Miraflores

There are two tourist areas in Lima; Miraflores and Barranco. Our apartment was near the Miraflores neighborhood with many great restaurants and nightlife activities. This area has two well-known parks –Miraflores Park and Kennedy Park, both surrounded by shops and restaurants and hosting daily concerts and events.

Miraflores Park is also home to the Cat Park of Lima where hundreds of cats live and roam freely and where visitors stop to pet the cats.

Barranco

The Barranco district of Lima is known as the artsy, bohemian district. It has art, beautiful graffiti, music shops, and some of the best bars and restaurants in Lima. We took a guided tour of this area and had the chance to experience the vibe of this neighborhood including making a wish and holding our breath as we walked across the Bridge of Sighs.

Archeological Sites

There are 447 archeological sites just in the city of Lima, so we only visited a few. One of the most famous sites is the Huaca Pucllana ruins in Lima. This adobe and clay pyramid is a pre-Inka ceremonial temple and was constructed by the Lima people around 400 A.D.

The temple provides a backdrop for the well-known Huaca Pucllana Restaurant where we dined during our food tour.

Magical Water Park

The Parque de la Reserva features the Circuito Magico del Aqua Fountain Show and the 13 fountains are illuminated at night.

At 7:15 p.m. the magic starts and a 20-minute show choreographing music, laser lights, video projections, and the fountains come to life in the park.

St. Peter and St. Paul Festival

During a Sunday visit to the central historical square of Plaza de Armas, we found ourselves in the middle of the celebration of St. Peter and St. Paul. Cultural groups from all over Peru converge in the plaza for prayer, food, music, and dancing. Each group is dressed in their indigenous ceremonial costumes. The day started with mass in the Cathedral and ended with music and dancing in the plaza. We were so happy to witness this celebration.

We enjoyed our stay in Lima. Like any big city, it has issues with traffic and noise, however, the food was fantastic, and the sights were fascinating. We especially enjoyed Peruvian cuisine and so, next week we will share our food experiences in Lima.