This is the last installment in a four-part journey exploring Peru’s dramatic landscapes — from captivating cities to pristine coastlines to towering Andean peaks. (Read parts one, two and three.)
Peru’s largest airport, Jorge Chávez International in Lima, unveiled a new terminal on June 1 that’s three times the size of its predecessor. The $2.4 billion expansion dramatically increases capacity, welcoming an additional 40 million passengers per year, who likely are bound for ancient marvels like Cuzco and Machu Picchu. But don’t just pass through — Lima itself offers rich experiences well worth a dedicated stopover.
Lima is a fascinating destination. It’s the second-largest desert capital in the world after Cairo, yet it hugs the Pacific Ocean and has three rivers running through it. With a population of 11.2 million, Lima ranks as Peru’s largest city by far — about a third of the country lives in the metropolitan area. And it has everything from ancient ruins to hot new restaurants.
If you’re on a layover and want to get a taste of what the vibrant city has to offer, visit some of these top spots:
Meander on El Malecón
One of Lima’s best features is its Pacific coastline. If you don’t have time to surf or swim, take in the water views from El Malecón, a six-mile coastal path that cuts through various neighborhoods and connects green spaces, cafés and more.
Visit Love Park
Along El Malecón in Miraflores, a clifftop neighborhood that overlooks the ocean, stop by this park with curved, colorful mosaic walls and “LOVE” spelled out on the grass with flowers and plants.
While everyone from families to solo travelers frequent the park, it’s meant for couples. Appropriately inaugurated on February 14, 1993, Love Park features El Beso, a larger-than-life sculpture from famed Peruvian artist Víctor Delfín of lovers passionately kissing.
See an Ancient Pyramid
You don’t have to climb the mountaintops of Machu Picchu to see Peru’s famous ancient ruins. In the middle of upscale Miraflores across from the modern Carnal steakhouse is an unexpected find: an archeological site called Huaca Pucllana.
The pyramid served as a pre-Inca temple and played a part in various ceremonies. The structure is surprisingly still intact — it was made using the bookshelf technique, which stacked the adobe bricks vertically to protect the pyramid from Lima’s earthquakes. Marvel at the well-preserved pyramid and visit the onsite museum to learn more.
See Art in the Barranco Neighborhood
The pedestrian-friendly Barranco serves as the artistic heart of Lima. Writers, poets and artists live and work in this bohemian district filled with vivid European-influenced architecture amid palm trees. Come here to peruse spots like Dédalo Arte y Artesania, a mansion-turned-gallery that showcases everything from jewelry to furniture made by Peruvian artists. Walk to the back of the gallery to discover a charming brick courtyard with an ancient ficus tree’s leafy branches and origami bird installations dangling over café tables. It’s a great place to refuel after a day of exploring Barranco.
Make another stop at Jade Rivera World, a gallery dedicated to the eponymous Peruvian painter, ceramicist, sculptor and muralist. The multi-talented Rivera’s work revolves around themes of Latin identity and the environment — his El Hogar de un Suspiro (“the home of a sigh”)mural on the building’s side, for example, shows a man removing a heart-shaped face mask to reveal a colorful bird.
That’s not the only street art you’ll encounter in Barranco. Walk around for a revolving exhibit of colorful graffiti adorning buildings, bridges and more. Look for Lima-born artist Bronik’s women-centric murals, like Recia (“strong”), where a girl struggles to hold a basket on her shoulders filled with books, vegetables, people and other responsibilities.
Cross the Bridge of Sighs
This Barranco attraction was built in the 1870s to connect two sides of a ravine. It’s a favorite spot for photos and some magic. According to local lore, if visitors cross the 144-foot wooden pedestrian bridge while holding their breath, their wish will come true.
Unwind in Olive Park
While tourists flock to Love Park, you’ll find locals strolling through Olive Park in the financial district, San Isidro. The less-crowded green space offers an oasis with walkways that take you past more than 1,600 olive trees, which the Spanish brought over more than 400 years ago, and a pond with fish and turtles.
Keep an eye out for the park’s more than 60 bird varieties, like the noisy scrub blackbird or the bright-gold saffron finch.
Drink a Pisco Sour
When in Lima, you must try the country’s most famous drink, the pisco sour. It combines pisco — a Peruvian grape distillate that’s considered a Cultural Heritage of the nation — with lime juice, egg white, simple syrup and a few dashes of Angostura bitters as a garnish on the foamy top. The cocktail was invented in the 1920s by American expat Victor Morris in Lima’s Morris Bar.
The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center’s Lobby Lounge Bar serves all kinds of classic cocktails and mocktails, but glowing tall walls of artfully displayed bottles of pisco point you toward the local spirit. The pisco offerings, ranging from a pisco mule to an algarrobina (similar to eggnog but with pisco and Peruvian carob), are the most popular orders. We sat at the white marble-topped bar and enjoyed the sweet and tart pisco sour underneath sprawling murals with stylized characters, like a mermaid, drinking — perhaps pisco.
Partake in the Culinary Scene
As the culinary capital of South America, Lima is a draw just for its food. Fine-dining institutions like Astrid and Gastón, Central, Mayta and Maido showcase the best of Peruvian cuisine and its different facets.
But you don’t need to dine at an upscale restaurant with a tasting menu to sample the country’s gastronomy. Seek out local street food like anticuchos, grilled beef heart skewers; butifarra, a sandwich stuffed with country ham and salsa criolla; and aji de gallina, shredded chicken in a creamy, spicy sauce. And save room for desserts like picarones, pumpkin and sweet potato doughnuts drenched in chancaca honey, and mazamorra morada, a rice-pudding-like dish made with purple corn and fruit.
