Guide to Lima, Peru, Lima, Peru

Lima is logically the first place many international tourists visiting Peru come, and as is true of almost any capital city around the world, it is not really indicative of the rest of the country. At first it can be a hard city to warm to, especially if arriving in the long winter when the famous and melancholy garúa blankets the sky white, meaning you may not see the sun for days on end.

Please note: this is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to Lima, rather our personal guide to the best things to see, eat and do in the city.

The city of Lima is divided into 43 barrios or neighbourhoods, many of which have little or no touristic value. The three districts of the city where most things of interest are concentrated are:

The historical centre of Lima, while not the prettiest part of the city, is where you’ll find the highest concentration of Spanish colonial architecture, high street shopping and most of the big museums.

This coastal neighbourhood is where you’ll find modern shopping centres, big name American chains, swanky high-rise apartment buildings and many, many expats. It’s also very popular with tourists as there is a large range of hotels here, and it is in fact where we rented an apartment. It’s also full of cool cafés (see below) and several nice restaurants. The neighbourhood is focused on the area surrounding Kennedy Park. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).