On a global scale, Lima, Peru moves up in rankings for international events, which started with hosting the World Travel & Tourism Americas Summit and the COP 20 (UN Climate Change) last 2014, the World Bank-IMF Summit in 2015, APEC Peru 2016, EITI 2016 & the UNESCO World Congress for Biosphere Reserves, among the varied world summits.

Caballo de Paso – dancing the “Marinera,” Peru’s National Dance. Photo via Hacienda Los Ficus

Called Ciudad de los Reyes (City of Kings) by the Spanish conquerors, the capital city is much more than the gateway to Peru. With the country’s best museums – more than 20 of them, plus striking baroque and renaissance churches, colonial mansions and houses (casonas), world-class restaurants, and outstanding night life, Lima deserves more than a quick stopover. The old colonial center, now identified as a World Heritage site, was the crown jewel of Spain’s South American empire. 

A mix of colonial heritage and Latin passion, grime and glamour — Lima is a tantalizing appetizer of what Peru has to offer. – Frommer’s

Modern Lima is an enigmatic, energetic city of contrasts, dotted with pre-historic sites and archeological ruins, and comprised of distinctive districts and neighborhoods. Sophisticated San Isidro, with elegant old homes and the lovely Olive Grove; as well as the galleries and bistros of artistic Barranco, and the charming flower filled parks and artisan shops of Miraflores, offer intriguing, uniquely Peruvian, urban attractions.

With Peruvian cuisine having captured the fancy of international epicures, Lima has become Latin America’s gastronomical capital, so let’s begin our breakdown of  101 reasons to visit Lima!

Huaca Huallamarca, against backrop of high rise apartments.

12 Huacas (Ancient Adobe Pyramids): Pachacamac, Pucllana, Huallamarca, Maranga Complex (8 pyramids), and a little further up north, Caral;

Museo de Arte de Lima – “MALI”

 9 Museums: Larco, Museo de Oro, Amano, Arte Lima, Arte Italiano, National Archaeological, Anthropology and History, Pedro Osma;

Gran Teatro Nacional

 9 Theaters: Gran Teatro Nacional (Grand National Theater), Municipal Teatro de Lima, Plaza Isil, Teatro Peruano Japones, Segura, PUCP Cultural Center, La Tarumba, Teatro Canout, Marsano;

 12 Historical Buildings: Casa Aliaga, Palacio Torre Tagle,  Archbishop Palace, Presidential Palace, House of Congress, Lima Municipal Palace, Casa de Riva Agüero, Casa Larriva, Casa de Osambelo/Casa Oquendo, Casa de la Moneda, Casa Miguel Grau, Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes;

9 Churches: Lima Cathedral, San Franciso, Santa Rosa, Nazarenes, San Pedro, La Merced, San Sebastián, San Agustin, Convento de los Descalzos;

Lima is also a mecca for handicrafts and arts enthusiasts, and a top shopping destination where hundreds of stores offer outstanding traditional crafts of the highest quality, as well as remarkable silver and gold jewelry, antiques, objets d´ art, tapestries, exquisite wood carvings, paintings and pottery. Colorful outdoor markets are popular, filled with dazzling traditional Peruvian items not to found in shopping malls.

7 Artesanias Markets/Shops (Handicrafts) Market & Specialty Shops: Mercado Central Lima, La Paz silver crafts Street, Miraflores antique shops, Mercado Indio, Barranco, Dedalo, Alpaca Shops in Larcomar.

43 Cuisine Specialties. Comida Criolla(Peruvian/creole): Jose Antonio, El Senorio de Sulco, Huaca Pucllana, Brujas de Cachiche,  Panchita, El Rocoto, La Rosa Nautica Fiesta, Malabar, Central, Astrid & Gaston; Cafés: La Tiendecita Blanca, Café café, Mangos, San Antonio, Café del Museo, Manolo; Cevicherias(seafood): Punta Arenas, La Rana Verde, La Red, La Mar, Pescados Capitales, Segundo Muelle, Punta Sal, Big Ben; Chifas (Peruvian Chinese): O Mei, Lung Fung, Wa Lok, Royal, Salon Capon, El Jade; Fusion/Japanese: Costanera 700, Cala, Hanzo, Kintaro, La Miga, Matsuei, Rafael, La 73, Osaka,  Amor Amar, Toshiro, Edo.

Blessed with a mind-blowingly fertile ecosystem—3,000 varieties of potatoes is just the half of it—Lima is emerging as a new global culinary epicenter. – Conde Nast Traveler Magazine

43 restaurants, are just a tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  Hundreds more, old and new, big or small, are yet to be explored and savored!

For more information on Lima &  Peru, check out our blogs on Peru. Take a PERU DREAM TRIP by Inkaterra, Peru’s Eco Pioneer and Conservation Leader since 1975; 100% Carbon Neutral travel and stay – any day departure. For travel assistance and bookings, check our Green Travel Exchange or contact us.

Photo Credits: Visit Peru, Gran Teatro Nacional