What to do in Lima:
Lima gets a bad rep as a city, but don’t let that scare you away from visiting! Lima can be fun, and is a great city to spend a few days in between trips to the mountains, jungle or northern coast. You can do your laundry, eat at some of the best restaurants in the country or get some much-needed exercise (After those 20 hour bus rides). Having lived in Lima for 4 months, and visited many times after here are a few of my favorites and must-do’s if you find yourself in Lima.
Bar night:
If I’m looking to have a night on the town, I never stay in Miraflores. The bars are always packed with people from the hostels that surround Parque Kennedy. For just a few soles you can grab a taxi to Barranco. The following are some of my favorite spots:
• Start at Ayahuasca, a massive mansion turned into a multi-floor fantasy house that has an entire menu of different types of Pisco Sours (for 10-12 soles). Go before it gets too busy so you can find a seat in one of the crazily decorated rooms.
• Go dancing at Trapiche Bar Ecologico. This is a cheap bar with great dancing and decorated with some wood paneling so it seems more jungle like.
• Fridays and Saturday’s at Toro Retro Bar are awesome! Great music, queer friendly space and there is usually glow-in the dark body paint. (What more could you possibly want?)
• Salsa nights at Sargento Pimienta– Salsa nights are a great way to hear some live music, have a drink and practice your salsa dancing. Also a great way to meet people.
• As you head home from your night out on the town walk down Avenida Grau or Bolognesi and pick up some salchipapas (French fries with hot dog, fried egg, mayo and ketchup). It’s the Peruvian version of late night poutine, and it’s pretty awesome. During the day Barranco is also really fun to explore- you can walk from Miraflores to Barranco if you follow the Malecon (over 10kms of sidewalk that borders the ocean). Give yourself a few hours to explore all the boutiques and restaurants. Keep an eye out for hipster cafes often located in homes that look like mansions. There is always something happening on the weekend in Barranco such as poetry events or fairs in the main plaza.
Sundays in Lima:
Sundays are most definitely fun days! In the morning EVERY Sunday, part of Avendia Arequipa (from San Isidro to Miraflores) is closed to cars. You can bike, run, walk, rollerblade, etc. up and down this stretch of street. There are free bike rental stalls along the road and on the Malecon. Make sure to grab some free Gatorade from the stands along the coastal stretch between Miraflores and Barranco, and drop by Parque Kennedy to participate in free Zumba classes or play volleyball in the middle of the street. I’ve definitely shaken my booty in public during a free Zumba session- totally recommended.
Where to eat:
• La Lucha– for the best French fries and chicharron (fried pork) sandwiches. There are a few different branches across the city with two in Miraflores (Parque Kennedy and the Larcomar Mall). The sweet potato fries are incredible!
• 4D– An expensive ice cream place with some unique flavors. Note there is a 4D in the Lima airport too. But it’s worth it when you need a sweet treat.
• Gastón Acurio restaurants- This guy is one of the most famous chefs/culinary entrepreneurs from Peru and has various restaurant chains all over the city ranging in price. Defiantly a must try if you have the budget, his food is famous and for good reason.
• San Antonios– This is my favorite place to find a big huge salad in Lima. The
salad bowls are bigger than my face, the coffees are great and the price is pretty economical. There is a San Antonio’s on Avendia 28 de Julio towards the western end of Miraflores.
• Get the menu del dia- if you want to try as much Peruvian food as possible just get the menú (set meal) for lunch at any restaurant. They are usually about 10 soles and you get 3 courses and the chance to try some more typical dishes.
• Barrio chino – if you’re looking to try some chifa (Peruvian Chinese food) go to “El Centro” (Lima’s downtown historic center) and visit the Barrio Chino. Also grab some emoliente (Sweet thick tea) from a street vendor while you’re down there.
To visit:
• Gamarra – If you’re heading out trekking after your stay in Lima, or you’re just in need of a nice t-shirt to replace the one you ripped that night at the bar…. Then head to Gamarra on a Saturday. It’s a garment district that is literally exploding with tiny stores selling low quality clothes and shoes. On Saturdays there are also many food vendors and street performers. Just make sure to find a safe way to get there and back, you might be able to pay a taxi driver to take you there then pick you up. Or you can take public transit but not recommended in the dark.
• If you can’t make it out to Gamarra but still need to replace the pants you lost, head to La Quinta across from Parque Kennedy in Miraflores. It has cheap bulk clothing stamped with brand names like “Abercrombie , A&E” (It’s like re-living your high school days).
• El Centro Historico – Easy enough to visit on the Metropolitano (Lima’s great bus system) and full of museums and famous monuments. Don’t miss the historic downtown center of Lima.
• Parque de las aguas – If you like cheesy music, lights and fountains than this is for you. Spend a romantic evening holding hands with your significant other as you walk in the dark through a series of fountains that light up to music. Pretty much the movie Fantasia set to fountains.
• Las playas – Go to the beach! If you’re staying in Barranco/Miraflores the beach is too close to not go (Even in the winter). You can take a surf class or just people watch.
• Puente de los Suspiros, Barranco – The Bridge of Sighs, where broken-hearted lovers used to visit. Tradition states you’re supposed to hold your breath and try and make it across the whole bridge (I’m not sure what the consequences are for not making it across but probably poor luck in future romantic endeavors or something like that…). The bridge is pretty, especially at night. Another cute and mildly romantic place to go.
• Larco Museum – By far my favorite museum in Lima. It’s a beautiful building covered in flowers and trellises. The erotic pottery collection is amazing, and they have other exhibits that give a much more thorough explanation of the history of Peru and the various Indigenous communities who lived there before the Spanish colonization.
Other fun things to do in Lima:
• Visit one of the many markets (Sucro, Surquillo, La Molina) to get some fresh fruit and veggies.
• Make sure to try granadillas (similar to a passion fruit…sort of), tunas (Cactus fruit) and pick up some fresh avocadoes.
• Take a day trip to the beaches at Punta Hermosa, especially if you want to surf.
• Take a day trip to La Punta at Callao for different ocean views and to visit the old fortress. You can even take a boat out into the ocean for a few soles and the change to wear a super sketchy life jacket.
• Take the Metropolitano all the way to Villa El Salvador.
• Miraflores and Barranco make up only a small part of Lima, a part that is extremely affluent. But this barely puts a dent into the rest of the city. You can take the Metropolitano all the way out to some of the farther districts of Lima. Lima was a city built on a dessert, which is hard to imagine, but becomes more easy to comprehend when you visit Villa El Salvador and can see settlements being built up on top of mountains of sand. Some of these are squatter neighborhoods that may or may not be formally recognized by the government yet.
Click on these destinations to find more specific information on these spots.
Find this article helpful or interesting? Like or share it on facebook!