Lima seems to stretch endlessly from the ocean into the hills, a sprawling metropolis that doesn't look anything like the tourist images of brightly dressed Andean villagers posed with their llamas in front of soaring mountain peaks.
Visitors who desire a break from antiquities can enjoy a stroll along the beach or chow down on typical Peruvian food at a neighborhood case. And when night falls, visitors can partake of the disco scene or enjoy a magic show featuring dancing water fountains.
Here are the Top 10 Places to Visit in Lima, which are worth visiting on a Lima trip:
1. Plaza de Armas
Also called Plaza Mayor, this broad square is the historical center of Lima and the most logical starting point for sightseeing. Most of the buildings from the original city were lost in the earthquake of 1746 - the only original structure standing in Lima's Plaza de Armas is the bronze fountain in the center, built-in 1651. Its buildings were reconstructed following the quake, Plaza de Armas is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with the cathedral, the square is surrounded by the Archbishop's Palace.
2. Lima Cathedral
Groundbreaking for the construction of the original Lima Cathedral took place in 1535 and was expanded over the years. After it was destroyed several times by earthquakes, it was demolished and a totally new cathedral was built several centuries later. The current cathedral is based on the 1746 cathedral. With additions over the years, the cathedral represents architectural styles from baroque to neoclassic. Located in historic Lima, the ornate cathedral has 13 chapels; the cathedral’s main altar is gold-plated.
3. Huaca Pucllana
If ancient monuments appeal to travelers, then Huaca Pucllana is the place to go; it’s considered one of Lima’s most important monuments. Located in Miraflores, this adobe pyramid was built around 500, but was later covered up and not rediscovered until the mid-20th century. Based on their excavations, archaeologists believe Huaca Pucllana was the ceremonial and administrative center for the early Lima culture.
4. San Francisco Church
San Francisco church and its monastery are most famous for their catacombs containing the bones of about 10,000 people interred here when this was Lima's first cemetery. Below the church is a maze of narrow hallways, each lined on both sides with bones. In one area, a large round hole is filled with bones and skulls arranged in a geometrical pattern, like a piece of art. If Mass is in progress upstairs, the sound reverberates eerily through the catacombs.
5. Miraflores
On cliffs above the ocean, just south of central Lima, Miraflores is a neighborhood of modern glass-and-steel commercial buildings mixed with some fine old colonial homes and lots of green space. Here is where you'll find smart shops and restaurants serving the "New Peruvian" cuisine that's drawing worldwide attention in culinary circles.
6. Museo Larco
The Museo Larco is a must-see for travelers interested in pre-Columbian art. The private museum, founded by Rafael Larco Herrera, is located in an 18th-century building that was built over a seventh-century pyramid. The museum’s collections, representing 5,000 years of Peruvian history, are arranged chronologically. The museum’s total collection numbers thousands of pieces.
7. Magic Water Tour
The Parque de la Reserva is a lovely park by day but transforms itself into spectacular water, sound, and light show at night. The park’s 13 fountains are turned off during the day, but spring to life at night at this family-oriented tourist attraction in Lima. Visitors who stroll the Magic Water Tour are awed by the fantastic displays that transform ordinary fountains into wondrous eruptions when combined with laser lights and music, including classics and Peruvian melodies. The Guinness Book of Records says the Magic Water Tour is the largest fountain complex in the world.
8. National Museum
As the largest museum in Lima, the Museo de la Nacion is the best place to begin exploring Peru's ancient history and gain an understanding of Peruvian culture. The museum covers the entire archeological history of Peru, from the first inhabitants to the Inca Empire.
9. Santo Domingo
Built-in 1540 on land given to the Dominican Friar Vicente Valverde by Francisco Pizarro, the church and monastery of Santo Domingo is one of the oldest and most historic in Lima. Here, you will find the relics of Saint Rose of Lima; San Juan Masias; and Saint Martin de Porres, the first black saint in the Americas.
10. Barranco
South of central Lima and Miraflores, the suburb of Barranco has long been popular with artists and writers, and it's one of the city's most appealing places to visit for those who want a respite from busy tourists attractions. Although not as manicured as Miraflores or as meticulously restored as Lima's historical center, Barranco has some beautiful 19th- and early-20th-century architecture and the authentic feel that comes in a place where locals are far outnumber tourists.
Besides these, there is much more to explore in Lima of Peru!!!
