This city of eight-million-plus has finally emerged from the shadow of other South American metropolises like Buenos Aires thanks to a surge of investment and national pride. Lima is phasing out smog-inducing buses and cleaning up its coastal waters and beaches. Most significantly, celebrity chefs such as Todd English hail Lima as Latin America's gastronomic capital—with creative yet authentic cuisine and crusading chefs like Gastón Acurio who are exporting its flavors in restaurants worldwide.
48 Hours in Lima
Text by Nicholas Gill
Get historic. Eat well. Surf. Just some of the seven top to-dos in Peru's capital.
1. Delve into a Colonial Past Acknowledging Lima as "the most important city of the Spanish dominions in South America" up to the mid-18th century, UNESCO named its historic center to the World Heritage list in 1988. Explore evidence of the city's power at the Plaza Mayor, presided over by the Archbishop's Palace and the Cathedral of Lima, where Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro is buried. Stroll a few blocks to 17th-century Convento de San Francisco, where catacombs house some 25,000 skeletons, arrayed in intricate patterns outlined in skulls and bones. Museo de Arte de Lima reopens in 2010 with renovated spaces to display its significant collection of pre-Columbian and colonial art.
2. Party at a Peña "In Barranco, nights are magic," says painter Hernán Sosa. "At countless bars, writers, painters, businessmen, students, and seniors let loose to share the little bohemian thing we all have inside." This cliffside district of mansions and art deco buildings is home to the city's best peñas—small Afro-Peruvian music clubs—such as Peña del Carajo, where evenings fill with singing, dancing, and the beats of the cajón (a wooden box used as percussion), with pauses for a snack of anticuchos (skewered beef hearts).
3. Bike to Pre-Inca Ruins South of the city, 20 miles of well-maintained single-track bike trails climb the green hills of the Lurin Valley on the way to the pyramid complex of Pachacamac. Contact Lima operators, like Peru Bike, to set up a guided ride to this working archaeological site. Before heading back, stop off for spit-roasted suckling goat at La Gloria del Campo—the countryside outpost of a Lima restaurant many consider to be Peru's best—and its attached organic farm.
4. Nibble Ceviche The cebichería—a seafood restaurant specializing in ceviche, Peru's national dish of raw fish, purple onions, and bits of aji pepper with lime juice—is a cultural institution in Lima. Near the Miraflores seafront, Avenida La Mar features a half dozen of the city's most innovative cebicherías, such as Rodrigo Conroy's 5 Esquinas, Gastón Acurio's La Mar, and Pescados Capitales. "On Avenida La Mar, fine dining chefs have transformed, with much success, one of our most emblematic dishes," says Rafael López-Aliaga, says Rafael López-Aliaga, executive sous chef at J.W. Marriott Lima.
5. Surf the Costa Verde With local girl Sofía Mulanovich now one of the world's most celebrated female surfers, the sport has stormed the Costa Verde, Lima's approximately 15-mile beachfront. Step into any of the surf shops scattered around Miraflores and Barranco to pick up a rental board and wetsuit or to sign up for lessons, which increasingly cater to visitors. "There are lots of wave breaks in Peru, especially in Lima and Punta Hermosa, where I am from, 35 minutes south," says Mulanovich.
6. Get Lewd with the Ancients Housed in an 18th-century mansion, Museo Larco may contain the world's largest private collection of pre-Columbian Peruvian art—from gold to textiles—but its most famous gallery focuses on 1,500-year-old erotic Moche ceramics and pottery. Sculpted bottles and vases reveal the Moche people's frank and humorous take on sexuality but also insights into their agricultural practices, religion, and government.
7. Dine with Culinary Stars Among the places to sample Lima's renaissance as a foodie destination, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino's Malabar incorporates typical ingredients from the Amazon and the Andes into pan-Latin favorites, such as rocoto chili-pepper confit stuffed with blood sausage and rice. At Hervé (195 Atahualpa, +011 51 1 446 5164), chef Hervé Galidie creates contemporary French dishes with Peruvian produce like black potatoes and the camu camu fruit. Rafael Osterling's signature Mediterranean-Asian-Peruvian fare at Rafael has earned him the reputation as one of the city's great chefs and spawned outposts in Colombia and Argentina. Just as authentic are the chifas—Peruvian slang for Chinese restaurants. Lima's Chinatown, six blocks southeast of the Plaza Mayor, is the largest in Latin America. Popular chifas include Salon Capon and Wa Lok, where you can dine on dim sum and pair it with an Inca Kola.
Fast Facts The City of Kings sits midway down Peru's coastal desert. Neighborhoods are safe to explore on foot during the day, but take marked cabs at night, especially in the gritty downtown districts. Rain is almost nonexistent.
Lima Hotel Finder: Four Insider Picks
Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores Top nightspots and restaurants like Hervé and La Gloria set the scene around this 148-room tower. A heated pool and contemporary art installations lift this hotel above the Peruvian chain's standard. From $188.
Country Club Lima Hotel Built in 1927, this historic site is considered a national monument and a center of Lima's elite social scene. Original colonial-period artwork on loan from the Museo Pedro de Osma graces the walls throughout. From $159.
Second Home Peru This restored five-bedroom Tudor mansion in Barranco was the former home and gallery of sculptor Victor Delfin, whose art adorns the premises. His pool and terrace afford sweeping views of the Pacific, a rarity at this price. From $95.
Hostal El Patio Its name may say hostel, but there are no dormitory-style rooms or shared bathrooms here. Yet this simple 25-unit colonial mansion in the center of Miraflores's busy commercial district is one of the best values around. Vine- and flower-filled patios and terraces—very agreeable places to kick back with a book—add a rustic character that many of the nearby chains lack. From $45.
Published in the September 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Text by Marisa Petrich
As Peru's largest city and the second-oldest capital in South America, Lima is an excellent place to get a feel for the whole country. With a rich literary background and a thorough blend of old and new, this cultural center has more than enough to keep a visitor busy. Check our list of websites, books, and other media to get a sense of the City of Kings.
Blogs
Read about the experiences of an American writer living in Lima since 2007. The blog began as a way for author Barbara Drake to document her transition to a new culture, and now offers comments on local events, news, and culture. The site also includes links to local news, blogs, and videos in Spanish and English.
Written by The Last Days of the Incas author Kim MacQuarrie, this blog follows developments in archaeology, anthropology, and current events in Peru and other parts of South America.
Based out of Lima, En Peru provides travel tips, commentary on daily life, and a series of posts that form a Lima city guide. Forget an important souvenir? No problem. The site also offers a mailing service for products made in Peru.
Websites
The South American Explorers Club
Full of trip-planning information from an independent source, the South American Explorers Club provides maps, hotel information, and even updates regarding tourist visas.
Created as a resource for expats, Living in Peru offers plenty of helpful tips for visitors, too. The site posts everything from classified ads to events calendars, and has entire sections on travel and food.
Newspapers and Magazines
Andina is a news agency based out of Lima that provides an English-language version of its website. Look here for coverage of local politics and business.
Founded in 1940, the Andean Airmail and Peruvian Times has recently been revitalized as an online publication. The site covers everything from politics to the environment. Check out the multimedia section for videos.
A World News Network site, the Lima Post compiles news stories about Peru from publications around the world.
Maps
Found on the Last Days of the Incas blog, this map lists Lima hotels and museums by location.
Click on the province in the map above to see the area's roads.
Books
Lima: A Cultural History, by James Higgins
Written by a specialist in Peruvian literature, this work chronicles the history of Lima from its founding in 1535 to modern times. The book is enhanced by quotations from Peru's famous writers, including essayist Manuel González Prada and poet Carlos Germán Belli.
Lima Peru, edited by Mario Testino
Celebrity photographer and Lima native Mario Testino acts as editor and combines the work of the city's photographers and artisans to show off his hometown.
Lima Nights, by Marie Arana
A story about a doomed love affair between a 15-year-old dancer and a married man, Lima Nights follows the couple's relationship over the course of 20 years.
The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta: A Novel, by Mario Vargas Llosa
Written by critically acclaimed Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta is set in Lima under a U.S.-backed dictatorship. An unidentified narrator investigates the life of a former classmate, Alejandro Mayta, who participated in a failed rebellion years before.
A World for Julius, by Alfredo Bryce Echenique
Originally published in Spanish, A World for Julius explores the lives of Peru's social elite from the perspective of a young boy.
The Last Days of the Incas, by Kim MacQuarrie
This book describes the conflict between Spanish explorers and the Incas in the 16th century in Cusco and Lima, the City of Kings. After recounting the collapse of the empire, MacQuarrie discusses scholars' modern theories on Incan artifacts.
Movies
Peru: The Curse of Inca Gold (2005)
This documentary investigates the conflict between the foreign-owned Yanacocha Gold Mine and the local Andeans. The film is available for viewing online.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)
Based on the novel by Thornton Wilder and set in Lima, this remake portrays a priest's search for divine reason in a freak accident—the collapse of a rope bridge that kills five people.
Soy Andina (2007)
This documentary is about two dancers—one from Queens raised by a Peruvian mother, the other from a village in the Andes who immigrated to New York—who return to Peru to reconnect with their roots. This film features plenty of traditional dance and music.