Lima

Lima rewards a stay of its own, not just a night between flights. Colonial churches and balconies, adobe pyramids left by pre-Inca cultures, clifftop parks above the ocean and a celebrated food scene give visitors plenty to fill several days. The seaside districts of Miraflores and Barranco are the usual bases, with San Isidro a quieter choice just to the north. A rented apartment suits Lima well: families get space and a kitchen to try local markets, and longer stays can settle into a residential street. Rain almost never falls, but from June to October the sky is often grey with a fine drizzle called garúa.

Where to stay in Lima

Miraflores, on the clifftops south of the historic centre, is one of Lima's main tourist districts and a natural base for first-time visitors. Its seafront parks, the Parque Kennedy at its heart and the Huaca Pucllana pyramid are all within walking distance, and the district suits families and anyone who wants ocean views. Barranco, just to the south, began as a seaside resort for summer visitors and is now known as the city's bohemian and artistic quarter, with old mansions, murals, galleries and the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1876; it suits couples and travellers who enjoy evenings out.

San Isidro, north of Miraflores, is Lima's financial district, with office towers and residential streets around El Olivar, an olive grove first planted in 1560; it is calmer and convenient for business trips. The historic centre suits travellers who want to be among the colonial churches and museums, and Callao, the port city where the airport stands, suits a night before an early flight.

History and the historic centre

Before the Spanish arrived, the valley belonged to the Lordship of Ichma and later to the Inca, and a famous oracle known as Limaq gave the city its name. Francisco Pizarro founded Lima in January 1535 as the City of Kings, laying out the Plaza Mayor and the street grid. It became the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the seat of a Royal Audiencia in 1543. Earthquakes repeatedly damaged the city, and in 1746 a strong quake destroyed the port of Callao. After José de San Martín reached Lima in 1821, it became the capital of independent Peru.

The Plaza Mayor is still framed by the Government Palace and the Cathedral, whose first stone Pizarro laid himself. Nearby stand the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, known for its catacombs, the convent of Santo Domingo and the Torre Tagle palace. UNESCO listed the San Francisco convent in 1988 and extended the site to the historic centre in 1991.

Huacas, parks and the coast

Lima was home to cultures that long predate the Inca, and their adobe pyramids, called huacas, still rise among modern buildings. Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores, built in seven staggered platforms, was a ceremonial and administrative centre of the Lima culture, which flourished between about AD 200 and 700. Huallamarca and Mateo Salado are other well-known huacas, surrounded today by homes and offices.

The Malecón de Miraflores, a string of clifftop parks, looks out over the Pacific and the Costa Verde shoreline, where paragliders fly along the cliffs. In the centre, the Parque de la Reserva holds the Magic Water Circuit, a large complex of fountains, and San Isidro's El Olivar grove is a shady place for a walk. In October, the procession of the Señor de los Milagros, linked to the Sanctuary of Las Nazarenas, is one of the largest religious celebrations in Peru.

Food in Lima

Lima is often called the gastronomic capital of the Americas, and food is one of the main reasons to stay a few extra days. Its cooking mixes Spanish, Andean and Asian traditions. Ceviche, marinated raw fish or seafood usually served with sweet potato and Andean corn, is a staple of almost every restaurant on the coast, and Peru has celebrated a National Ceviche Day on 28 June since 2008.

Causa limeña, a cold dish of mashed yellow potato seasoned with lime, onion and chilli, and anticuchos, grilled skewers of marinated beef heart, are local favourites. Chinese immigration gave rise to chifa, the Peruvian take on Chinese cooking, found in dozens of places around the Barrio Chino near Calle Capón in the centre. Pisco, a grape brandy, is the national drink. An apartment with a kitchen also makes it easy to shop at neighbourhood markets and cook with Peruvian ingredients.

Getting there and around

Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) is in Callao, about 11 kilometres north-west of the historic centre and about 17 kilometres from Miraflores. A new passenger terminal opened on 1 June 2025, replacing the old one, and the airport handles both international flights and domestic routes across Peru.

The Metropolitano, a bus rapid transit system in dedicated lanes, has run since 2010 along a north-south corridor from the district of Independencia through the centre and San Isidro to Chorrillos in the south. Metro Line 1, fully open since 2014, links Villa El Salvador in the south with San Juan de Lurigancho in the north-east, and the first stations of Line 2 opened in December 2023. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely used for other trips. A car is rarely needed inside the city, though it can be useful for trips along the coast or into the Andean foothills.

Day trips from Lima

Pachacamac, about 40 kilometres south-east of the city in the Lurín valley, is a large archaeological site that was first settled around AD 200 and flourished for some 1,300 years, until the Spanish conquest. It was named after the creator god Pacha Kamaq, and its ruins include the Painted Temple and the Temple of the Sun.

Further afield, the Sacred City of Caral-Supe, about 182 kilometres north of Lima, was the main city of a civilisation that developed between about 3000 and 1800 BC and is listed as a World Heritage Site since 2009; it makes a long day out. About 250 kilometres south, near the town of Pisco, the Paracas National Reserve protects desert and marine ecosystems and is better visited over a night or two. Closer in, the Andean valleys east of the city offer winter sunshine when the coast lies under cloud.

Weather and when to visit

Lima is a coastal desert where rain is extremely rare, yet its climate is mild for the tropics because of the cool Pacific waters offshore. Summer, from December to April, is sunny, warm and humid, with daytime highs of about 25 to 30 °C and colourful sunsets. Winter, from June to October, is very different: grey skies, cooler temperatures with highs around 16 to 19 °C and high humidity. A fine morning drizzle called garúa is frequent from June to September, and long stretches of overcast skies are common. May and November are transition months.

The summer months are best for beaches, the clifftop parks and outdoor dining, while winter is a good time for museums, food and trips inland, where the sun often shines. Humidity is high all year, and layers help in the cool, damp winter months. Lima works as a base at any time of year, including before or after a trip to the Andes.