Lima Holidays

Centre of the Spanish Empire

Peru was the centre of the Spanish Empire in South America, and Lima was the home of the Viceroys who ruled over the entire land. As the most important Spanish city in the Americas, with the possible exception of Mexico City, it had fine colonial buildings for the wealthy aristocracy based there. Unfortunately, a massive earthquake in 1746 destroyed much of the city, eliminating most of its beautiful centre. Around this time, the importance of Lima for the Spanish began to wane, and other cities in South America, such as Buenos Aires, increased in importance. Nevertheless, Lima retained its elegance, and most of the buildings destroyed in the earthquake were rebuilt, and can be seen today.

Independence of Lima

In 1821, on July 28, the Argentine General San Martín entered Lima and declared independence. The Venezuelan Simón de Bolívar became the newly independent country's first president, although he ruled only from 1824 to 1826.

Lima's Economic Development

Lima continued to play an important part in the economic development of Latin America after its independence, and the first railway in South America, between Lima and the port of Callao, opened in 1854. However, the city remained relatively small until the beginning of the 20th century, when the population numbered little over 100,000. The urban sprawl that is today's Lima began around this time. The population on average more than doubled every twenty years, and continues to grow today. This growth was particularly evident in the 1970s and 1980s, as the shanty towns surrounding Lima sprang up to accommodate the mass influx of migrants from the Andes. These were escaping from poverty and the violence of the Shining Path's war with the Peruvian government, which largely played out in poor rural villages.

With the sudden growth of the city, the upper and middle classes moved away from the centre of Lima around the beginning of the 20th century, and settled in the quieter areas of Barranco, Miraflores and Chorillos. In recent years, the centre of the city has greatly improved, with the removal of street vendors, who filled the streets of the centre, to more organised markets. The streets have been cleaned up, and many of the buildings restored. Some businesses have moved back to the centre, after abandoning the area, and although parts of the city can still be dangerous, safety in the centre has improved significantly in the recent years.

Lima Today

The end of terrorism and the stabilising of the economy in the early 1990s attracted much inward investment to Peru and Lima. Although there is still very significant poverty, overall poverty rates have dropped in the city and the rest of the country, and there is now a sizeable middle class in Lima. Shops and services have sprung up to cater for them, and the city now has shopping centres, cinemas, entertainment complexes and bars to rival any city in the world. Although this has led to some cultural homogenisation, Lima still retains a significant chunk of its cultural identity. In particular, this can be seen in the food scene, with modern Peruvian food having worldwide influences, but using the wide range of fantastic ingredients from across the country.

Visit Lima

Lima has some excellent museums, which give a perfect introduction to much of the history of the rest of the country. The historic centre of Lima, a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site, is a fascinating glimpse into the splendid past of what was once the most wonderful city in all the Americas, the City of Kings. The centre has been much improved in recent years, and should definitely be visited.

Lima also has the best social scene anywhere in Peru, with excellent nightlife in Barranco and Miraflores, and some world-class restaurants, with prices to match. With all sectors of Peru represented in the city, from the wealthiest classes (with shops and services to serve them) to the poorest, living in shanty towns, Lima is a true Latin American city. Follow the links below to find out more about Lima’s attractions.

Mari is a Peru native, born and bred in Lima. Read her blog to find out how she was pleasantly surprised by how the city has changed on a recent visit.

Historic Centre

The historic centre of Lima was declared a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1988, and although somewhat decrepit, it is still well worth visiting. The beauty of the city's many fine carved wooden balconies found throughout the city is a joy. These are completely enclosed, allowing the person standing on the balcony to look out through the slats without being seen from the street below. This was to protect the modesty of the women of colonial Lima, who would have been compromised had they been seen by passers-by.

The centre of Lima is compact, and can easily be walked around. The best starting place is the Plaza Mayor, where the cathedral is located. Although this is the only building on the square dating from before the 20th century, the plaza is still an elegant, and traditional, focal point for the city. The cathedral was completed at the end of the 18th century, after having been destroyed several times by various earthquakes. Inside the cathedral, the carved choir stalls are impressive. Pizarro's tomb lies in one of the side chapels. On the right of the cathedral is the Presidential Palace, built in 1938 on the site of the Viceroy's palace and before that the site of the palace of Taulichusco, a pre-Hispanic ruler of the region. The palace can be visited, although an appointment needs to made in the Edificio Palacio next door. A granite rock, a monument to Taulichusco, stands in the Pasaje Santa Rosa, a pleasant pedestrian street with many pavement cafes. Other buildings on the square include the Archbishop's Palace, with a fine carved balcony, and the Town Hall.

Probably the most interesting building in Lima is the Monasterio de San Francisco. This was originally built in 1669, and has had to be restored many times due to earthquakes. The carved choir stalls are beautiful, but it is the library that has the finest carvings, including an outstanding wooden ceiling from 1625. The library has 25,000 leather-bound books, and 6,000 parchments. The monastery also houses a fine art collection, including work by the school of Rubens. The highlight of the monastery is, however, the catacombs. These were used as Lima's cemetery until the early 19th century, and 15,000 people were buried in the catacombs. Now there are thousands of skulls and skeletons on display.

Close to the main square is the Church and Monastery of Santo Domingo. This is the oldest church in Lima and is the resting place for San Martín de Porres, the first black saint, and Santa Rosa, the patron saint of Lima. The monastery has some beautiful tiles with biblical scenes, and a series of 36 paintings on the life of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The nearby Santuario de Santa Rosa houses the remains of the saint and there is a small adobe hut where the saint is said to have lived.

The Church and Convent of Las Nazarenas are famous for the image of El Señor de los Milagros. A powerful earthquake in 1655 destroyed most of Lima, including a church where the image of a crucified Christ was painted. However, the wall on which the fresco was painted survived the earthquake, and was considered miraculous for this. Every October, which is known as the mes morado (purple month), worshippers dress in purple gowns and the image of the Christ, weighing over a tonne, is carried on the shoulders of the faithful around Lima in one of the world's largest processions.

Across the river, over the Stone Bridge, dating from 1610, is the district of Rímac. This was a fashionable area in the 17th century, although it can now be quite dangerous. The Plaza de Acho is the oldest bullring in the Americas, built in 1766, although remodelled in 1944. It can seat 13,000 and still hosts important bullfights every year in October and November. The Monasterio de los Descalzos has a fine collection of religious paintings, including some Murillos and Bittis, and many paintings from the Cusqueña, Limeña and Quiteña schools. In Ricardo Palma's book Tradiciones Peruanas there is a story related to one of the paintings, Miguel de Santiago's Señor de los Tradiciones. This tells of the painter, in a moment of madness, placing a knife in the back of his model of Christ to get a truly anguished look on his face. When he realised what he had done, the model was already dead. The monastery was founded in 1595 by the Spaniard Francisco Solano and the Italian Andrea Corso, and has some pretty cloisters.

City Neighbourhoods

Miraflores

Miraflores is the cultural heart of Lima, with much of the city's social and shopping scene set here, as well as many of the best hotels. Huaca Pucllana, dating from the 3rd century, with a large pyramid built of adobe bricks, is well worth visiting.

Barranco

Barranco is a pleasant suburb of Lima that has kept its character much better than most of the city, and is the bohemian heart of the city. Situated on the seafront, the area has the feel of a small town, separate from Lima. Barranco is one of Lima's main nightspots, and there are plenty of good bars and discos in the area, which come to life at night. During the day, however, Barranco is a relaxed, tranquil place, almost like a town stopped in time, making a pleasant escape from the rest of Lima.

San Isidro

San Isidro is the financial heart of Lima, and also has some of Lima's best hotels and restaurants. There are pleasant parks and a small number of attractions, including the Huaca Huallamarca, a restored pre-Inca temple with a small museum at the entrance.

Lima

The historic centre is in the central district of Lima, as is the Magic Water Circuit, a beautiful park with 13 water, ornamental and interactive fountains, located next to the National Stadium. It is particularly interesting at night, when there are music, light and laser shows. The park is very popular with local families, with children playing in many of the fountains, and wedding couples and quinceañeras (girls celebrating their 15th birthday) coming for photos.

Museums

Larco Museum

This museum has a wonderful collection of ceramics and other artefacts in excellent condition, and cover most of Peru's pre-Hispanic cultures, especially the Moche and Chimú cultures. The collection in the museum is very well presented and probably gives the best introduction and overview of Peruvian pre-Hispanic cultures in the country. There are 45,000 pieces in the museum, although only a small fraction of these are actually on display. The rest are housed in the storeroom, which can be visited and the pieces seen. The museum also has a large collection of erotic ceramics, which are housed in a separate section of the museum where admission of children is prohibited. These are mostly from the Moche culture, and served different purposes, including humour and warnings about deviant behaviour. There are some pieces from the Salinar culture, which are said to be the first erotic representations in the world. In addition to the ceramics, the museum also houses some Chavín stone heads, some metalwork and some excellent gold, silver and turquoise jewellery. There is an excellent restaurant in the attractive gardens. The museum is now open until 10pm each day, so you can have dinner and explore the museum after visiting the historic centre.

National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru

This museum (closed on Mondays) has probably the finest archaeological collection in Lima, with excellent ceramics and many superb Paracas textiles. The museum also contains various important stone pieces, including the wonderful carved Stella Raymondi and the Tello Obelisk, both from Chavín de Huántar. There are a number of fine gold and silver pieces also on display. The museum presents a history of Peru, starting with early pre-Hispanic cultures, advancing to the Incas, although the labelling and presentation is not great, so it is recommended to take a guide. In addition to the pre-Hispanic content of the museum, there is a section dedicated to the colonial and republican eras, with furniture and paintings from the period. There are some very interesting descriptions of the development of indigenous Peruvians after the arrival of the Spanish, and the section is worth visiting. The Larco museum is a 15-minute walk from the museum, so it is very easy, and worthwhile, to visit both.

Gold Museum

The famous gold museum (closed on Sundays) in Lima contains an enormous collection of 10,000 gold, silver and copper pieces, some of which are excellent. The museum was briefly closed in 2001, with the suspicion that many of the pieces on display are fakes. In addition to the precious metals, the museum has a good collection of textiles, stone carvings and ceramics, including a large collection of erotic ceramics.
The collection contains pieces from most of the important Peruvian cultures, including Chavín, Vicus, Moche, Chimú, Inca, Chancay, Paracas, Nazca and Tihuanaco. The star of the show is the Chimú gold Tumi, a 20cm-tall ceremonial knife, replicas of which can be found throughout Peru. Many of the pieces are often abroad at temporary exhibitions, but the collection is so large that this does not really matter.

Museum of the Inquisition

The church in Lima was all-powerful, and Lima was the last city to abolish the Inquisition, only abandoning the practice in 1820. From the date of its inauguration in 1569 to its abolition, the Inquisition in Peru executed 32 people, although far more were tried and tortured. The museum gives an interesting insight into the processes of the Inquisition, and has some models of inquisition torture practices. The building should not be missed for the incredible carved roof in the courtroom. This is made up of 33,000 pieces of wood, and there are no nails – everything fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Tours of the building are available in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Pachacámac

The archaeological ruins at Pachacámac, south-east of the city, are the most important in the Lima area, and although parts are in a poor state of repair, several areas have been restored, giving a good idea about the complex. The site is mostly adobe, although there are several stone structures. There is a small, interesting museum at the entrance to the site, with ceramics and weavings, as well as a wonderful totem idol.

Pachacámac was first occupied around 200AD by people from the Lima culture, who dedicated it to Pachacámac, the creator god. Around 650AD the Wari culture took over the site. From 1000AD to 1450AD the site was occupied by the Ishmay culture, which developed it into a major religious and ceremonial centre. The Inca occupation from 1450 until the arrival of the Spanish in 1532 added several new temples, including the Templo del Sol and the Templo de Acllahuasi. The former has a similar layout to Qorikancha, the sun temple in Cusco, and is worth visiting. The other area worth visiting is the impressive Templo de Acllahuasi, the chosen women dedicated to the sun. This was restored by the Peruvian archaeologist Julio Tello.