Well, you fly into the capital of an amazing country which happens to be Peru! Truly, this is a land of culture beyond belief and above all, a land of mystery! The majority of people who arrive in Peru, first land in Lima. Even though a lot of them change planes straight to Cusco, it is worth it to stop in Lima for at least three days. Here is our experience of our three-day long stay in Lima:
DAY ONE
Miraflores
For our stay in Lima we had decided to book an VRBO in the area of Miraflores. Meaning “from the flowers view”, it is one of the safer and wealthier neighborhoods near the ocean. This is why a lot of tourists choose it for their stay and I recommend staying in Miraflores as well.
TIP: The best way to get to the city from the Airport is with Lima Airport Express. The price is roughly $8.
On the first morning after our flight, we were more than anxious to head for Huaca Pucllana. We began to make our way and immediately found a lovely café two blocks away, which became a morning ritual to begin our adventures. Pasteleria El Buen Gusto served a wonderful morning menu of pastries and treats with the best coffee we’d had in quite a while. The coffee in Peru we found instantly to be strong, yet so smooth, it seemed to cream away in your mouth.
Huaca Pucllana
OK! It was now time to resume our journey to the ruins! With the amount of hills in the city and anywhere in Peru it is no secret that roaming the streets might present some challenges. The walk up to Huaca Pucllana wasn’t that bad (only a few “OK, let’s take a break”s)! Once we got to the outside walls, we looked up and saw people above on walkways making their way across this amazing pyramid on narrow boundaries! Oh Dear!
Finally, we approached a makeshift entrance with security guards and paid 15 soles (about $5) each for entrance. The ticket includes an English-speaking guide. They don’t allow anyone to wander on their own as the site is currently being actively excavated and it’s dangerous to go it alone.
Huaca Pucllana is a giant pyramid, made out of mud bricks. It was a cultural and ceremonial center of several pre-Inca civilizations, and the fact that by the Inca times it was already considered ancient, is the most interesting.
Besides the ruins, there is a small “petting zoo” of Peruvian animals, such as llamas, alpacas and guinea pigs, as well as a Peruvian vegetable garden. There are a lot of vegetables there I have never heard about!
At the foot of Huaca Pucllana there is a beautiful restaurant. It is especially cool to have a drink there at night, overlooking a brightly lit ancient ruin.
Parque Kennedy
Afterwards we made our way to Parque Kennedy which is a small hub of the area. We were amazed at the landscaping of this park which featured flowers everywhere planted in unique rows and above all, a huge number of cats! Jenia was thrilled to hang out with some beautiful specimens who are fed and protected by the park itself.
Obviously JFK is still popular with the people here and I got a photo with a commemorative bust of his likeness. It made a very nice impression on me since I was very close to him as a kid, having a President to look up to.
Finally, after a day of walking, we were really hungry people! We saw a lovely restaurant called El Parquetito and invaded immediately! This became our first dining experience in what became an incredible land of eating. First off, we ordered ceviche (Peru is where ceviche comes from). Also, we had the most delicious stuffed pepper (rocoto relleno) with fresh cheese … Wow! Naturally, we wanted to have a great local beer, so we opted for two different kinds of the craft Sierra Andina.
DAY TWO
Downtown Lima
The next day we began at our El Buen Gusto café for our morning fix. After enjoying a nice visit we called Uber since it is a bit of a drive downtown. Uber in Lima is cheap: our 40-minute ride to Plaza de Armas was only about $ 5.00 US and that was simply a bargain.
Plaza de Armas and Change of Guards
The Plaza de Armas is a beautiful city square in the center of town. It is surrounded by the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union. The Government Palace features a daily changing of the guards event. This takes place at noon seven days a week and includes some marching and drumming in the army’s full regalia. It’s fun to watch. Arrive around 11:45 to make sure you get a nice viewing spot.
Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo
After taking many pictures, we headed a couple of blocks over to the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo. This is an amazing church which includes the historic chapter house, where the University of San Marcos, officially the first Peruvian university and the oldest university in the Americas, began to function in the 16th century. A fee of 10 soles includes an English-speaking guide. Besides an absolutely beautiful church which had stunning rooms and cloisters, there are walkways and gorgeous courtyards.
Afterwards, the guide unlocked a door and led us to the next level, into the Choir Room, which was a sight to behold. There was a long U-shaped row of chairs with a spindle-shaped turntable in the center. The room was designed with shiny wooden walls which had good acoustics, so when the choir sang, their voices would reverberate off the walls and ceiling. The lyrics would rotate in the center on the turntable making it easy for the choir.
Our guide now unlocked another door so we could enjoy climbing the stairs to the bell tower. That’s 135 of them (UUGH!). We passed level by level of bells and finally made the top. This was an excellent photo opportunity with a 360 degree view of the surrounding area.
San Francisco Church and the Catacombs
Next up on our day’s adventure was The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs. The church is noted for its architecture, a high example of Spanish Baroque. Its granite carved portal would later influence those on other churches, including the Church of Merced.
The Catacombs and the crypts are built of bricks and mortar and are very solid. They have stood up well to earthquakes. The catacombs served as a burial place until 1808, when the city cemetery was opened outside Lima and contain thousands of skulls and bones. The guide took us through room after room where we saw bones and skulls in many configurations.
The Magic Water Circuit
On the way back, especially if it’s already getting dark, stop at the Reserve Park to see The Magic Water Circuit, which includes 13 cybernetic fountains. Tuesday to Sunday, at 7:15, 8:15 and 9:30 pm you can enjoy a spectacular fountain show with music and lights.
DAY THREE
Barranco
Barranco is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru. It is considered to be the city’s most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru’s leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers.
Graffiti and The Bridge of Sighs
After a short Uber ride from “home” we immediately noticed the funky and colorful wall murals and graffiti everywhere you look, actually reminiscent of San Francisco and such. In the midst of it there is a small pedestrian bridge called The Bridge of Sighs. The name has nothing to do with its famous namesake in Venice. The reason for the name is rather the opposite: it’s a common place for lovers to meet. The sighs on this bridge are the ones of love, not of suffering. It is believed that if you make a wish and walk from one end to the other holding your breath, your wish will come true.
After visiting Barranco, we started walking back down the coastline. There is a nice sidewalk on both sides of the street in front of super gorgeous condos and townhouses above. Down below at sea level there is another beachside drive as well with some cool piers. Surf conditions were fabulous and we loved to watch many surfers in the ocean.
Paragliding
About that time, out of nowhere, came a paraglider riding the up-drafts on the ridge we were walking on. Firstly it freaked us out and then we noticed several more. There was a paragliding operation that had set up shop right in front of us. Wind conditions were perfect and their customers were having a blast. Looking over the edge of the rock face, we wondered how it felt to jump off even in tandem with a true pro. We saw at least two places to paraglide: one in Barranco and one in Miraflores, near the Love Park.
Larcomar
As we walked along the “Malecon” (name for this type of promenade) we passed through several parks very conducive to reading a book, admiring the views from a bench, practicing trumpet (we saw a fellow doing this) and so forth.
Our next stop was an incredible shopping mall built right into the rock face we had been traversing. Yes, this was a multi-level mall just like a regular shopping mall in the city, except it was carved into the side of a mountain.
The Larcomar Mall has a wide selection of shops and restaurants. From the trendy world famous makeup and jewelry boutiques to the name brand clothing and specialty stores, it was all here. Uniquely, most of the restaurants and pubs were on the seaside and of course their outside dining meant you had level upon level of breathtaking ocean views. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed for our last destination, The Love Park.
The Love Park
A very popular destination located on the Malecon on Lima’s scenic coastal strip is the famous Parque del Amor (the Love Park). With its coastal views, beautiful flowers, stunning mosaics as well as the embracing couple, it is the most romantic park. This place was built to celebrate love in all forms and it draws a multitude of tourists every year. The centerpiece sculpture brings it all together. “El Beso” (The Kiss) portrays a man and a woman wrapped in each other’s arms, locked in a passionate kiss.
It was the perfect place to wrap up our visit in Lima. Early the next day we jumped onto one of the Peru Hop buses and embarked on our journey through the country. Our next stop was Paracas, a small beach town with a lot of amazing things to see.
