Where and when: Lima – Peru, 27 May 2023.
0900: It’s our first (and last) full day in Lima. We start the day with a half-a-day guided city tour.
Our first stop is Parque del Amor (meaning ‘Lovers Park’). This park is said to have been inspired by Parc Güell in Barcelona by Antonio Gaudi.
The park is dominated by a massive sculpture of two lovers embracing called El Beso (‘the kiss’) by the renowned Peruvian sculpturer, Victor Delfin. According to our guide, the two people in the sculpture have been modelled on Victor Delfin and his wife.
The park is located on top of the iconic cliffs of Lima and there are great views over the Pacific ocean from here. The Pan American Highway (which stretches from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuai, Argentina) runs along at the bottom of the cliffs.
Originally, the sea reached all the way to the foot of the cliffs. The road and the pebble beach at the bottom are man-made, by reclaiming 300m of land from the sea.
The Spanish Conquistadores chose Lima as the capital due to its excellent position, nestled between the Andes mountains to the East and the Pacific ocean to the West. This made it easily accessible by sea, but easy to defend from enemies on land.
The name Lima is a corruption of “Rima”, which is the name of the river that flows across the city.
1030: From Parque del Amor we head to the centre of Lima about 10km North. This is the heart of the city with major landmarks and government institutions.
We go past the department of justice and Plaza St Martin.
Plaza St Martin was built in the early 20th century to mark the centenary of Peru’s independence from Spain.
Once in the centre of the city, we set off on a walking tour with our guide. Our first stop is the Prime Minister’s official residence. In Peru, the President is the executive, so the Prime Minister is secondary to the President and has limited powers.
Buildings in this part of the town have a mix of European renessaince and brutalist architecture.
In this part of the city, there are many colonial buildings with “balconies” for which Lima is famous. These are built on the first floor of buildings, jutting out to the streets. But unlike any other balcony I’ve seen before, these are completely covered, allowing whoever was inside to see, but not be seen.
Next we go past the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco. This complex is undergoing renovations. This is the case for many historical places around Lima with UNESCO funding the restoration of heritage sites.
Next stop is the Plaza Mayor, also known as Plaza de Armas. This is the main square of Lima. The square was established by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. In its heyday, this was the centre of the South American Spanish empire.
On one side of the square is the Government Palace, which is the residence of the President.
On the Government Palace, we could see the Peruvian Flag. The full version of the flag (Two red stripes on either side of a white stripe, with the emblem of Peru in the middle) can only be flown on government buildings. Everyone else has to fly the version of the flag without the emblem (i.e. a flag with just the white stripe in the middle with two red stripes either side).
On another side is the The Archbishop’s Palace and the Cathedral of Lima.
There is a copper fountain in the middle of the square. All the roads around the square are pedestrianised.
Our last stop is the oldest monastery in Lima, the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo monastery is one of the oldest and most well known monasteries of Lima. This is the resting place of 3 of the 5 Patron Saints of Peru; Santa Rosa, San Martin, San Juan. There is a chapel dedicated to each of the Saints in the monastery.
Inside the Basilica there is an altar dedicated to these three Saints. You can also see some of their remains at this altar.
The library of the Monastery is very impressive, containing nearly 25,000 books. These are currently undergoing restoration.
This is the end of the half-a-day city tour, and we go back to Miraflores.
1300: We decided to spend the second part of the day visiting the archaeological site of Huaca Pucllana (pronounced “waka puyana“).
Huaca Pucllana is a pre-Inca ruin located right in the heart of Miraflores. It is thought to be a ceremonial site used by many pre-Inca civilisations and dates back to at least 2nd century BC.
The walls of the complex are built with mud bricks that are stacked side by side. The walls are built to be wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. Both these building techniques allow the building to withstand earthquakes.
The site was first discovered after World War II. There has been over 40 years of excavation on the site, but large parts of the site still remain undiscovered. It is likely that the origins of the site date back even further than the currently established 2nd century BC.
Artefacts from several different cultures have been found here, including 64 burial chambers, some of which included human and animal sacrifices.
The site is also home to some Alpacas, Guinea Pigs and Ducks which you can see at close quarters.
Huaca Pucllana can only be visited on a guided tour, which usually needs to be booked a day in advance. The booking website didn’t work when we tried it. So we took a chance and turned up at the site, hoping to be able to go on the next available tour. We were lucky that there was a Spanish/English Language tour just about to start.
Tip: If you are staying in Miraflores, I would highly recommend visiting Huaca Pucllana. It may not be as well known as Machu Pichhu, but it is nevertheless impressive and will give you an idea of the pre-Inca culture in Peru. Try to book your visit at least a day in advance to guarantee availability.
There is also a restaurant on site, and if you make a booking here you can dine with a view of the site.
1415: After the visit to Huaca Pucllana, we decide to walk to the seafront at Miraflores.
1445: Lunch stop at El Mexicano eatery. This area of Miraflores is full of trendy restaurants and cafes.
The Central restaurant in the nearby neighbourhood of Barranco has been named as the number 1 restaurant in the world in 2023. Infact, Lima is home to 4 out of the top 50 restaurants in the world in 2023, making it a must visit destination for culinary enthusiasts.
1530: After lunch, we walk to Larcorma – this is a shopping centre built on to the side of the cliffs at the sea front. There are many retail shops, restaurants and bars here. It’s a great place to spend a couple of hours, enjoying the views over the Pacific.
1615: Walk to Parque Antonio Raimondi, which is a large park that is adjacent to Parque de Amor. This park is named after the Italian-Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naturalist and writer.
In the park, there are lots of green areas, a lighthouse, a dog park, a cycling path and some play areas for children. It being a Saturday, there were many people out, families and friends enjoying the weekend, the autumn sunshine and the sea.
This part of Lima is on par with any European capital, with food, drink and spaces for people to enjoy. We also saw many dog owners frequenting parks, usually a sign of an affluent society.
1715: Walk back from Parque Antonio Raimondi.
1745: Small detour to the beach. The beach here is man made and quite pebbly.
1800: Walk back to hotel, Arawi Miraflores Express.
Hotel Review
Arawi Miraflores Express is in a good location in Lima. It is walking distance to the seafront and many shops, bars and restaurants, but the hotel is pretty basic, despite being billed as 3 star. For example, there were no tea or coffee making facilities in the rooms. The service however was excellent, and they promptly provided us with kettles and mugs when requested. The breakfast buffet was ok, with a selection continental breakfast items and scrambled eggs.
That was the end of our first full day in Peru and last day in Lima. Tomorrow, we will be travelling to Cusco. More about that on my next post.
Have you been to Lima? What did you see/do? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Diary of a Tourist 