A Summary of Lima, Peru

I have spent almost my entire life in a town of 7,000 people, occasionally making cities a drastic and sometimes difficult difference. However, Lima captured my heart with its energetic environment, beautiful street art, and things to see.

In my 12 day trip to Peru, our first stop was to Lima, where we stayed for about two days.  Our hotel was El Tambo 2, in Miraflores which was an awesome but cheap spot for being close to so many things to see and do. I would completely recommend this hotel. Plus, if you have friends in another room, you can communicate via atrium!

Josh in the atrium

We saw many sites in Lima, of which my favorite were Huaca Puccllana, San Francisco Cathedral, and the Pacific Ocean.

Huaca Puccllana is an ancient pyramid that was only discovered recently in the grand scheme of things. It was once a motocross track before they realized something was underneath it, and sure enough, a pyramid built by the Lima people was buried below. However, after decades of work to uncover it, there is still about 30 more years of work before it is entirely unearthed. It costs 7-12 soles (2-4 USD), depending on if you have student ID or not.

The uncovered portion of Huaca Puccllana

The San Francisco Cathedral is so incredibly beautiful and full of rich history. It was built by the conquistadors and still stands today. Some of the best parts to see are the library that houses books all the ways from the 1500s and the ever so popular catacombs. The low ceilings hover over all the arrangements of real human skeletons, and a tour guide will tell you of the process used to be buried there. In terms of price, it’s 15 soles (5 USD), which includes the entry and a 45 minute tour.

San Francisco Cathedral Catacombs

Lastly, the Pacific Ocean is so incredibly beautiful and offers such great views of Lima. Two of my favorite places on the coast were from Parque del Amor (Park of Love) in Miraflores as well as on the beaches below. Luckily, seeing this one is free! Here are some pictures to emphasize the sheer beauty:

One of the many beaches

Miraflores Coast

Parque del Amor

Food in Lima was incredible and relatively cheap, with a full lunch being around 30 soles (10 USD). Peru food often includes chicken, potatoes, and some vegetables, but how it is prepared varies from place to place (all are very good though!). However, there are many other options that are common such as alpaca and anticuchos (beef heart), as well as many different types of vegetables. On our first night, I had all of these food items from a restaurant called El Parquetito. The food was delicious and the hosts were very sweet. Just look for the yellow umbrellas! Also, as a treat, a vendor across the street sells churros in the park for 3 soles (1 USD), which are incredibly good. I highly recommend them.

Potatoes, corn, and from top to bottom: chicken, pork. alpaca, and anticuchos

Also, as I mentioned earlier, the street art is beautiful! Here are a few examples:

I’m so glad I got the opportunity to go here; it is absolutely beautiful! I would recommend Lima to anyone and hope to return one day!