Yesterday I saw a gastronomic documentary about the Peruvian capital and I loved it. I loved the cultural diversity, the dishes, the people, the colonial buildings and the clear heritage of the original peoples with all its richness. So I have no doubts you have to visit Peru and of course, Lima.
Thinking then of a brief visit to Lima, here I leave you clear and practical information over the Peruvian capital. What to see, what to visit, what to eat, how to move and where. It's about discovering the best of Lima and taking home the best of memories.
Lima
Lima it is the national capital and it is also the name of the province. Rest on the central coast, is washed by the Pacific Ocean and together with the metropolitan area it is altogether the largest urban area in the country.
He knew how to call himself City of the KingsWhen it was founded by the conquerors in the first half of the seventeenth century, but ultimately the original of limaq, in Quechua, and with time it mutated in Lima.
The Inca were not the first to dominate this territory, but they had been here since the XNUMXth century, so when the Spanish arrived, they allied with the tribes subjected by them and managed to disarm a powerful empire. The capture of the Inca Atahualpa by Francisco Pizarro, for whom a ransom of his weight in gold was demanded, which was paid even though the sovereign was killed anyway, is quite well known. Another tragic chapter in the bloody conquest of America.
What to see in Lima
The city is World Heritage and to really get to know its historic center you have to spend about four hours more or less. If you like museums, then you will have to add a couple of hours more.
The starting point may be the Main Square, the heart of Lima. You can visit it in the morning and it concentrates many colonial buildings such as the beautiful Cathedral and the Government Palace. In the center there is a bronze fountain dating from the XNUMXth century. The Lima cathedral It is a building that is open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm. It is quite simple on the inside but has some treasures such as remains of Pizarro in a side chapel, the Museum of Religious Art and the beautiful choir performed by Baltasar Noguera.
El government palace It can also be visited with prior reservation. It was at the time the residence of Pizarro, in 1535, and it was built on the home of an Inca chief named Taulichusco. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century it burned down and had to be rebuilt and if you want to take a look at the political history of the country this is a good place with patios and busts of important figures. The changing of the guard takes place every day at 11:45 am in the Patio de Honor.
La Church of San Francisco and the Convent they also receive visitors, from Monday to Sunday from 7 am to 11 am. It is a particular building complex as it has Corinthian columns, cloisters with tile roofs, a rich art museum and underground catacombs from the colonial era.
I can add a couple more destinations like the Aliaga House, an adobe residence built on a pre-Hispanic building that has Italian marble, a bronze fountain and a lot of luxury since the same family inhabits it since 1535. It can be visited from Monday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 5 pm, with organized visits by agencies or with reservations on your own.
Obviously there is a place that for me I have to visit yes or yes: the Museum of the Inquisition. Lima was a very active site at that time of the Church so you can see the Court, the secret door through which you entered the halls of the Grand Inquisitor, the Torture Chamber, the underground pumpkins, the Library of the Inquisition, the church and the 9th century monastery. It opens from Monday to Sunday from 5 am to XNUMX pm and the best thing is that admission is free.
Do you like highly decorated churches? So don't leave the St. Peter's Church. It was built in 1636 inspired by the Jesuit church in Rome. It has three ships, three entrances and a heavy decoration with paintings and golden tiles. Precious. It was built, like so many buildings in Lima, on Inca altars. Provocation? Sure. It opens from Monday to Sunday from 6:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 5 to 8 pm. Admission is free.
More churches? Las Nazarenas Church, Santo Domingo Church and Convent and Los Descalzos Church and Convent.
Excursions from Lima
If you have time to do some travels around there are some recommended destinations. At 31 kilometers is the Pachacámac Archaeological Complex. There are ruins of palaces, squares and temples built with mud, some restored like the Temple of the Sun. pre inca and inca ruins and a museum. The place is open from Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm.
206 kilometers from Lima is Caral, a famous site. The Sacred City of Caral is a World Heritage Site and it was built by the oldest civilization in Peru and America because it is five thousand years old. This culture is on a par with the cultures of Mesopotamia, for example, or of India and Egypt. There are fabulous squares and pyramidal constructions.
SIf you want to see the sea and enjoy a day at the beach, you can go to Cerro Azul, an hour and a half drive from Lima. People come to surf, camp, to enjoy its 1924 pier, visit the Guarco Archaeological Site or contemplate the lighthouse at sunset.
There are beaches both south and north of Lima. If you don't want to go so far the districts of Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro They are good options to get out of the center.
How to get around Lima
It is an issue, a problem that the city has not yet fully resolved. But to move around the urban center you have the subway, a truly electric railway that It moves between the southern area and the surroundings of the historic center. There is a Metropolitan Transportation System made up of Bus they have their own traffic lanes. They also work taxis, informal and informal.
I would not be very encouraged to use the buses, unless someone explains how, but one can get around the city and its main attractions by taxi or on foot.
What to eat in Lima
Lima is a multicultural city where the original culture is combined with the Chinese and Japanese cuisine, for example. There is no lack of European, Spanish and Italian cuisine. I recomend you eat at the stalls in the Plaza Mayor, try all those local delicacies, and of course try the ceviche and lake of the Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine.
Do not stop trying the anticuchos, Choros a la chalaca, cau-cau, causa filled, carapulcra or tacu-tacu, fried beans with rice, onion sauce and meat. Stroll, enjoy, eat, go out at night and then yes, you can already embark on a trip that may take you to Cuzco, to visit the wonder of Machu Pichu. But don't leave Lima out of your route.