Lima Things to Do Tips by acemj

A great place to start any tour of Lima is in the Plaza de Armas in El Centro. This has literally been the center of the city for hundreds of years. Much has been altered or renovated over the years, but the bronze fountain in the middle of the square has looked the same since 1651. In 1821, Jose de San Martin announced Peru's independence from Spain from this very spot.

I enjoyed our quick walk around Plaza de Armas. There were quite a few people sitting on the benches here just relaxing as well as plenty of people crossing the square going about their business of daily life. Like almost every square in Lima, you'll find the city's main cathedral here along with the City Hall.

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Address: El Centro

There has been a church here since 1625 and the original design was made by Francisco Pizarro! Yes, the Spanish conqueror himself was responsible for the general layout of the church, which has changed over the years. The towers were added a couple hundred years later and the altar has also been changed over the years. Pizarro's tomb is found inside the massive, cavernous church.

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Address: East side of Plaza de Armas
Other Contact: 10 Soles to visit

This is the official residence of the president of Peru and the building was only completed in 1938. It was on this site in 1541 that Francisco Pizarro was murdered. Tours can be arranged a day in advance by booking at the entrance. Unfortunately, we didn't have that information, so we didn't visit the interior.

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Address: North side of Plaza de Armas

A visit to this church and monastery is only 5 Soles and is well worth it. The church dates to 1674 and was my first introduction to "Lima Baroque" architecture, which I still don't really understand. However, I did enjoy seeing the carved portal and seeing the artwork throughout the monasteries many rooms, courtyards and stairways. I must admit that I was concerned about the preservation of much of the artwork and carvings, which are mostly just exposed to the elements and don't seem to be very well-maintained. Tours can be arranged in English, but we just followed along with the nearest guide who happened to be speaking Spanish. One of the best parts of the tour is going down underneath the structure into the catacombs where the bones of over 75,000 people are stacked in some interesting patterns (skulls, hipbones, femurs, etc. are all neatly stacked together in an eerie type of organization).

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Address: Calle Ancash, At The Corner With Lampa
Directions: Just Next To The Plaza Mayor

We stayed in the district of Miraflores which is an inexpensive cab ride away from the city center. It's a safer neighborhood and has the best infrastructure of hotels and other accommodations. The Parque Miraflores is a nice green space along the main street, Avenida Jose Larco and in front of the neighborhoods cathedral. Larco is lined with restaurants, shops and bars. My buddy Ryan and I even got haircuts at a place along this street. At the end of Larco, you'll find an open-air mall that overlooks the ocean and the cliffs.

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Directions: Southwest Of The Centrum Of Lima