Compared to flying into Colombia or Ecuador, our first two stops in this South American visit, the brown of Peru was striking. Also striking was the difference between the cleanliness of the area around the airport and that of the Miraflores and Barranco neighborhoods. (The airport is being expanded and the areas near it are undergoing renovation.)
Our wonderful boutique hotel, the Villa Barranco By Ananay Hotel, was amazing. The rooms were beautiful, the landscape fabulous, and the service great. (Can you tell I really liked this hotel?!?!) Our first visit we stayed in Miraflores which is walkable to the beach and to the Larcomar Shopping Mall. We enjoyed staying in that neighborhood, but we also enjoyed staying in Barranco this trip. Barranco feels more traditional and laidback. I don’t think you can go wrong by staying in either area.
We arrived from Quito just in time to walk to dinner at Isolina, one of the top restaurants for traditional Peruvian foods in this foodie city full of wonderful restaurants. Again, the portions are large. In fact, even sharing the smaller plate at Isolina we were too full to finish.
The next day we set off on a tour of the city with Renzo from Peruvian Worldview Tours. (We booked the tour through Viator.) Renzo was a fabulous guide as he took us first to the Park of Love in Miraflores. In the 1950s and 60s public displays of affection were not allowed. The only area that lovers could sneak kisses was in this area near the cliffs because darkness was so complete there. Finally, PDA became legal, and the park was constructed and dedicated on February 14, 1993. The park, which is located on the pedestrian walkway in Miraflores, highlights Gaudi-like benches and a huge state of two lovers in an embrace. (Supposedly, the longest kiss in an annual event was more than 3 hours long and the participants were 70+ years old.)
Our next stop was at the Huaca Pucllana, a sacred ceremonial center for the Limas, a people predating the Incas. The structure is older than Machu Pichu and was found only 44 years ago, even though it is in the middle of the bustling Miraflores area. Although no rooms have been found inside, the adobe structure is still being excavated. Who knows what is yet to be discovered?!?
Next stop? The Surquillo Market to see some of the fabulous and unusual fruits grown in Peru. Peru also grows 150 types of corn—including the purple corn that is used to make the drink chichi morado.
Peru’s number of types of potatoes tops even those of corn—more than 3,000 types of potatoes are raised in the country. (Just a note: Ceviche originated in Peru and is one of my favorites.)
We returned to the Barranco neighborhood where we crossed the Bridge of Sighs. Legend has it that if you hold your breath all the way across, your wish will come true. We made it and followed Renzo to the Bajo de Baños (Shower Way) with its many murals and vendors.
Our tour had only just begun with a stop in Chorrillos, an area of Lima that developed as a fishing community that still has a very active fresh fish market. (Come early to get a good selection.) The hill, Morro Solar, hovers over the fish market and the bay below. The massive cross at the top was a gift for Pope John Paul II when he visited. At the top are also an observatory, planetarium and a memorial for those who died in the defense of Lima during the War of the Pacific.
The van next took us to Downtown Lima for a wonderful lunch of more traditional Peruvian foods--including ceviche. (The food is excellent!) We walked through the Plaza Mayor and stopped for a pisco tasting, before entering the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco to enter the catacombs. From the beginning of construction in 1546 until 1810, the crypt was used as a cemetery. The Basilica, Convent, and catacombs are part of a magnificent, massive complex both above and below the earth’s surface. Unfortunately, pictures are not allowed in the complex which features a beautiful library, church, and catacombs decorated with bones from people gone by. (Just a note: Thankfully, this complex has withstood numerous earthquakes throughout its history. This fact was especially comforting to me as we explored the catacombs under the colossal church!)
And then, another wonderful dinner—this time at Cala Restaurant which overlooks the waves breaking on the cliffs below and has great food, service, and atmosphere.
One day was sufficient time to get an overview of Lima, but I would suggest at least 2 days. In a previous trip, we had visited the Larcomar Mall and the surrounding area and the Larco Museum which gives a wonderful insight into the pre-Columbian history of Peru along with some surprising details. Plus, the number of wonderful restaurants would provide weeks or months of different experiences. In our previous trip we had also visited Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the Nazca Lines--all of which are amazing and so worth visiting!
But…it was time for our flight to Iquitos, Peru and our trip to the Amazon onboard the Delfin 1!
Our voyage on the Delfin 1 is just a click away!
Our day in Lima, Peru is here.
For info about Quito and our short trip there, click here.
To read about our stay in Bogota, click here.
In the meantime, please click here for info on Cartagena.
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Candace, I'm really enjoying your posts on Peru. I was there several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lima was particularly interesting as it is a city of such contrasts. We found the foodie culture to be very unique and delicious. They are very proud of their skillful chefs and varied dishes and rightly so.
Keep traveling and writing!
Mary Lou Shipley