Literally, the first thing you’ll hear when you arrive in Lima is how beautiful the city is. I arrived at night so at first, I had to just take their word for it. I soon realized how true that statement was by the time the sun came up the next day. Lima, Peru is the only capital in the world located along an ocean coast. The main tourist activity area is located along this strip so you can enjoy amazing views while exploring the best parts of the city.
Miraflores – The Heart of Tourism in Lima
As a tourist, most of your time will probably be spent in the neighborhood of Miraflores. Miraflores is where you’ll find restaurants, shops, hotels, and many other places of interest. You will even come across lots of casinos. It’s nearby to several other local attractions that showcase the vibrant Peruvian culture and history.
Central Miraflores has a strip that goes from their largest mall, Larcomar to the popular Parque Kennedy. Parque Kennedy hosts various events including music shows, film screenings, and even art exhibits. This strip is usually packed with visitors all day and well into the night time. Larcomar is the main shopping center for foreigners. There are a lot of international shops as well as local favorites. It even hosts various art gallery exhibitions as well as having Peruvian vendors from all around the country periodically invited here to sell locally made handicrafts and clothing.
Getting Around Miraflores
Finding rides around the city is no problem. There are always taxis lined up at Larcomar as well as along the strip leading to the central park. Thanks to this location, you should never pay more than $5-7 to travel to some of the neighboring places in Lima. Taxi drivers are open to haggling so don’t be afraid to ask for a cheaper ride. Frequent travelers understand the need for finding a great wi-fi connection. This entire strip and park provide public wi-fi service, even while outdoors.
Discovering Lima’s Cultural Hub
Perhaps the best place to be in Lima as a solo traveler is the neighborhood of Barranco. This area fit more of the experience I was looking to have while visiting. Barranco is the cultural hub of the city where you can see lots of small galleries, shops, and even exciting nightlife that lasts well into the early morning. Barranco also gives you more of a local perspective of Lima while being conveniently located next to the tourist attractions in Miraflores. It’s also located along the coast and with a short ten-minute walk, you can explore both neighborhoods.
Lima is an international city with lots of international brands when it comes to accommodations. There are options for resort type rooms as well as local hostels for more budget-conscious travelers. If you’re staying in Barranco, I recommend the Lima Wari Hotel Boutique. Lima has a nice mix of modern and boutique type hotels and this is one of the top. It gives you easy access to Barranco and Miraflores as well as a short walk to a great attraction: Huaca Pucllana. Rooms can be found for as low as $35/night and has an onsite restaurant and shuttles.
Glimpse into Lima’s Past
Peru has a unique history with lots to learn about. To get an interesting glimpse into the city’s past, you should stop by Huaca Pucllana. This is an actual archaeological site and pyramid located right in the city. When I first learned about the pyramid, it seems to be out of place since it’d be surrounded by modern buildings. Reaching the pyramid is just a short drive, or a nice walk, from Parque Kennedy. When you arrive, there’s an entire section of land surrounding the pyramid that’s dedicated to tours and current excavations. Taking part of the tour will give you the opportunity to climb to the top of the pyramid to look out over Lima. The tour lasts for an hour which is plenty enough time to take in all the information and take pictures.
Lima’s airport is called Jorge Chávez International Airport. It’s located about an hour from the areas such as Miraflores and Barranco. Most visitors traveling to Peru will arrive through this airport. The most popular airline operating here is LATAM. You can also find other major South American airlines such as Avianca and Viva Colombia. Flights from the US to Lima can be done via JetBlue, Avianca, Air Canada, and more. On average, tickets can be found for $400 and up.
Spending a week in Lima was more than enough time for me to explore several of its large neighborhoods. Each has their own special gems that make them unique. Lima is an exciting city to explore, both in the daytime and night. The culture is amazing and can be seen in all aspects of Lima, from the food to the architecture to the types of people that I met along the way. Even just one day in Lima and I can easily see why it’s such a popular destination.
My cost was about $35/day which included accommodation, food, entertainment, etc.
