The historic center
To all honor, let’s begin this whirlwind passage to Lima – made possible by a new direct flight between Montreal and the Peruvian capital – by visiting its heart, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, on the grandiose Plaza Mayor, the government palace, the Lima Cathedral and the city hall share the same square lined with palm trees and popular with tourists. Founded by the Spaniard Francisco Pizzaro in 1535, the place was designated the City of Kings and remains, almost 500 years later, the political center of the country. Not to be missed, located a stone’s throw away, is the San Francisco convent and its catacombs… where the bones of 25,000 people are preserved in crypts that can be visited.
Meet art
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The Huaca Pucllana site allows you to visit an ancient administrative and religious center built 500 years AD by the Lima civilization (yes, like the city).
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The obligatory guided tour of the archaeological site allows you to climb to the top of the central pyramid and admire the area from the ruins.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
Huaca Pucllana is in the heart of the Miraflores district, a dynamic area full of restaurants, bars, shops and located on the edge of the Pacific.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The 13 rooms of the Larco Museum highlight the pre-Columbian cultures that populated Peru for millennia.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The museum, which brings together 45,000 pieces and 38,000 ceramics and vases, has a depository open to the public, a rarity in the museum world.
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PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE LARCO MUSEUM SITE
Visitors will be surprised to learn that an entire gallery is devoted to erotic art. Ceramic bottle showing a sexually active woman, Mochica culture (1–800 AD)
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BEAUCHEMIN, THE PRESS
Located in the Palacio de la Exposición built in 1870 to celebrate 50 years of Peruvian independence, the MALI was inaugurated in 1961.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BEAUCHEMIN, THE PRESS
The permanent collection traces 3000 years of history; from pre-Columbian textiles and pottery to mid-20th century paintinge century.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BEAUCHEMIN, THE PRESS
MALI is surrounded by a large garden where families come to relax, a breath of fresh air in the middle of the city.
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There were numerous pre-Columbian civilizations before the advent of the century of the Incas and the arrival of the Spaniards. Three places take turns and achieve the feat of retracing, explaining and presenting millennia-old cultures and customs: the most important archaeological site in Lima, Huaca Pucllana, the Larco Museum, which brings together a masterful collection of Mochica, Huari, Chimú and Inca artifacts, to name just these cultures, in one of the haciendas – former large agricultural property from the time of the Spanish conquest – the best preserved in Peru and, finally, the Lima Art Museum (MALI), which has a permanent collection of pre-Columbian and colonial art as well as a space dedicated to temporary contemporary exhibitions.
Gastronomic capital
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @AWICHA RESTAURANTE
The Awicha restaurant of chef Jason Román – who notably worked in the kitchen of the renowned Guy Martin’s restaurant Le Grand Véfour – allows you to taste rich, spicy cuisine at a reasonable price in Barranco.
The city with the most restaurants classified in the top 50 world of the best culinary establishments? Lima. And where is the best restaurant in the world, Central? Yes, in Lima. Influences from Asia (chifa for cuisine of Chinese origin, nikkei for that merged with Japan), Europe and Africa, combined with know-how of ancestral and indigenous dishes, allow an unparalleled diversity of flavors, colors and textures. The visitor is sure to find high quality dishes there. And not necessarily overpriced, on the contrary! Daily dinners – a table d’hôte simply called menú – can be had for just 15 soles ($5). The divine dish is accompanied by a chicha morada (non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn) or an essential pisco sour, always cheaper than a glass of wine.
Malecon of Miraflores and Barranco
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BEAUCHEMIN, THE PRESS
The view of the sunset from the cliffside promenade in the Miraflores neighborhood
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The view of the Pacific Ocean from the heights of the Miraflores and Barranco neighborhoods. If the automobile is king near the ocean, it leaves room for pedestrians and cyclists on the steep cliff.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
Lovers meet at the park of love, inaugurated on February 14 (of course!) 1993. The sculpture What you need (The Kiss), in the central square, is by the Peruvian artist Victor Delfin.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The Gateway of Sighs, in Barranco. Couples must cross it hand in hand, holding their breath, to ensure love. eternalnothing less !
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BEAUCHEMIN, THE PRESS
The Ermita Church, located on the edge of the Gateway of Sighs, in Barranco. Affected by the earthquakes of 1940 and 1974, the building is not accessible to the public.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
Mafalda, by the Argentinian designer Quino, sits at the entrance to the Barranco district.
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PHOTO VERÓNICA PÉREZ TEJEDA, THE PRESS
The climb of the steps towards the heights of Barranco
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To see the most beautiful sunsets over the ocean, it’s here! But first, we stroll along the Malecón, a promenade crossing the Miraflores district on the cliff bordering the Costa Verde, our eyes fixed on the tumultuous waters located tens of meters below. The promenade also has an open-air shopping center, Larcomar. Continuing south, we arrive at the Contemporary Art Museum of Lima, gateway to Barranco, the vibrant district of artists and bohemians. The district’s tourist hotspot, the Historic Pedestrian Zone, includes heritage monuments, parks and the Gateway of Sighs. Once crossed and the wish granted – holding your breath, as tradition dictates – you take the path to the Bajada de los baños, which leads straight to an esplanade overlooking the ocean. Finally, here it is, this sunset over the Pacific!