Lima: Historic and Culinary Capital

Lima is not only the capital of Peru, it is also the city that is home to a third of the entire population of the country. With more than 8 million inhabitants, Lima is nearly 10 times more populous than Arequipa, the country’s second city. That shows the weight and influence of this city, which often leads Peruvians to say that "Peru is Lima".

What to do in Lima?

Capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru under Spanish colonial rule, Lima was the most important city on the continent for more than two centuries. From this glorious past remains a historic center listed as a World Heritage Site, with its churches and other colonial buildings.

Lima is also home to some of the best museums on pre-Columbian civilizations and Peru’s rich archaeological heritage. Notable examples include the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Larco Herrera Museum, the Gold Museum and also the Museum of the Nation.

Pre-Columbian archaeological sites are also found in the region, such as Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores or the site of Pachacamac, about thirty kilometers from Lima.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Miraflores is the cultural center of the city and the safest and most pleasant district, with its parks, hotels and restaurants. It’s the perfect opportunity to sample the booming Peruvian gastronomy. Among the many restaurants in Lima, we can recommend La Mar, by the most renowned chef in Peru, Gaston Acurio, Le Mangos, for its lunchtime buffet on a magnificent terrace overlooking the Pacific, or La Rosa Náutica, for a romantic dinner above the waves.

If you have a free day in Lima at the end of your stay, it can be a good opportunity to do some souvenir shopping. The craft markets of Miraflores are huge and bring together everything you may have seen in the different places visited during your trip.

Finally, for nature lovers, Lima is also the starting point for an excursion to the Palomino Islands, home to a large population of sea lions and seabirds. The excursion also offers the chance to swim in the ocean with the sea lions (in a wetsuit, of course, since the water is cold!). It is an alternative to visiting the Ballestas Islands for those who won’t be traveling down the Pacific coast to Paracas.

More information

Altitude: 100 m.
Climate: Temperate and cloudy, but without rain from April to December. Sunny and warm from January to March.

Maximum daytime temperature (monthly average):

In summer (December to March): 26ºC
In winter (June to September): 19ºC

Minimum nighttime temperature (monthly average):

In summer (December to March): 19ºC
In winter (June to September): 12ºC

Lima airport is about 40 minutes from Miraflores, but depending on traffic conditions, it can sometimes take an hour. In addition, there are sometimes queues at check-in at the airport, which is why it is wise to follow the timeframes recommended by the airlines, namely arriving 2 hours before departure for a domestic flight and 3 hours before departure for an international flight. We therefore arrange airport transfers 3 hours before the flight's departure time for a domestic flight and 4 hours before for an international flight. Please let us know if you would like to move a transfer time earlier or later.
If you wish to arrange your transfer from the airport yourself, be sure to take a taxi from within the airport, for safety reasons. The fare is around 20 USD. Be careful, some taxi drivers take advantage of tourists' unfamiliarity to ask for 50 USD. Always make sure it is clearly stated whether the price is in dollars or soles and whether it applies per person or for the whole ride.

By air:

Lima is connected by daily flights to Peru’s main cities, in particular Arequipa, Cuzco, Juliaca (Puno), Puerto Maldonado, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Tumbes, Piura, Iquitos, Huaraz, Cajamarca, Tarapoto, Tacna, as well as to La Paz in Bolivia.

By land: