At first glance, Lima seems to stretch endlessly from the ocean to the hills, a sprawling metropolis that looks nothing like tourist images of brightly clad Andean villagers posing with their flames in front of mountain peaks. But a closer look shows that this massive city, home to nearly a third of Peru’s population, has its own attractions that are as fascinating and colorful as the interior scenes you’ve imagined.
So take some time to explore this vibrant city and visit its outstanding museums to set the historical and cultural scene for what you will see in other parts of Peru. Admire its colonial architecture, with beautiful buildings adorned with intricately carved wooden balconies and Baroque ornaments.
Join the locals for dinner at some of the best restaurants in South America, stroll through expansive green parks, and relax in the lively coastal suburbs of Lima. You will see why the Spanish conquerors, who founded it in 1535 under Francisco Pizarro, called Lima “the King of Cities”.
To find the best places to visit in this exciting city, follow our list of the top tourist attractions in Lima.
Main Square
Also called Plaza Mayor, this wide square is the historic center of Lima and the most logical starting point for sightseeing. Most of the original city buildings were lost in the 1746 earthquake; the only original structure found in Lima’s Plaza de Armas is the bronze fountain in the center, built in 1651. Its buildings rebuilt after the earthquake, the Plaza de Armas is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with the cathedral, the square is surrounded by the Archbishop’s Palace; the House of the Hearer; and the Government Palace, the official residence of the president that was built in the place where José San Martín declared the Independence of Peru on July 28, 1821.
Convent of San Francisco
The church of San Francisco and its monastery are most famous for their catacombs that contain the bones of some 10,000 people buried here when this was the first cemetery in Lima. Beneath the church is a maze of narrow corridors, each lined with bones on either side.
In one area, a large round hole is filled with bones and skulls arranged in a geometric pattern, like a work of art. If there is mass upstairs, the sound reverberates hauntingly through the catacombs.
Visiting these is not for those who are claustrophobic, as the ceilings are low and the doors between the chambers are even lower, requiring people to duck when entering. But the catacombs are at the end of a church tour so you can skip them.
There is much more to see here. The library, on the upper level, has thousands of old books and the monastery has an impressive collection of religious art. It is best known for a mural of the Last Supper that shows the apostles dining on a guinea pig, with a devil standing next to Judas.
The church and monastery of San Francisco were consecrated in 1673 and is one of the best-preserved colonial churches in the city, having withstood the earthquakes of 1687 and 1746, although it suffered extensive damage in an earthquake in 1970.
Address: Jirón Lampa y Ancash, Lima
Magic Water Circuit
The Magic Water Tour was inaugurated in the Reserve Park in 2007, and in one year it had two million visitors. It holds the record for the largest fountain complex in the world, with 13 separate fountains. The largest, the Magic Fountain, launches a jet of water more than 80 meters high, while the Tunnel of Surprises Fountain is a 35 meter water tunnel to walk on. At the Fantasy Fountain, you can see an image and laser show with jets synchronized with the music.
Address: Madre de Dios, Lima
Love Park (Love Park)
You will not find a more romantic place to watch the sunset than the Parque del Amor on the Malecón de Miraflores. Mosaic designs created from small tiles line the undulating walls, often compared to those designed by Antoni Gaudí for Parc Güell in Barcelona, Spain. Lines of Peruvian poets, including Abelardo Sánchez León and Augusto Tamayo Vargas, are incorporated into the mosaics. Paths wind along the flower-lined cliffs leading to the park’s centerpiece, El Beso (The Kiss), a large sculpture of an embracing couple created by Peruvian sculptor Víctor Delfín. Parque del Amor is open until 11pm every night.
Ravine
South of downtown Lima and Miraflores, the Barranco suburb has long been popular with artists and writers, and is one of the most attractive places to visit in the city for
