We planned for almost a week in Lima after our Galapagos cruise and island hopping adventures. Although based on our research it didn’t look like we would need that long to see the highlights, we figured we would also have some downtime and enjoy some time in a city after so much nature.
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Getting to Lima
We had used frequent flyer miles for our departure from the Galapagos Islands, and the only reward flights happened to be in business class. It was a couple of short flights, so we didn’t get a whole lot of pampering, but a glass of cheap sparkling wine before takeoff was nice.
The first leg of this journey took us to Guayaquil on the Ecuadorian mainland. We had a five and a half hour layover here, but decided against leaving the airport for what would have been a very quick visit to the town center. Instead we spent the time in an airport lounge enjoying complimentary snacks and the best internet connection we had experienced since leaving home.
After another short flight we arrived in Lima. We made it through immigration and customs with no dramas, and found our prearranged driver waiting for us. It was about a half hour drive to the Miraflores area where we met our AirBnB host and hauled our luggage up four flights of stairs to our apartment. The apartment was basic (and did I mention the four flights of stairs with no elevator?), but the two separate bedrooms, living space and kitchen were just what we needed after a couple of weeks on a boat, then in small hotel rooms.
Settling in to Miraflores
The next morning we found a great little cafe for fancy coffee and croissants for breakfast. It isn’t in our budget to do this every day, but it was a nice “welcome back to civilization” treat. Our next stop was the Larcomar shopping mall. This is an up-market mall in an amazing cliff-top location. We browsed for a while enjoying the novelty of seeing familiar brand names in an unfamiliar setting, then went to the supermarket to pick up supplies to do some self-catering during our week in Lima.
After dropping the groceries off in the apartment, we continued exploring the Miraflores area in the opposite direction from Larcomar. It turned out our AirBnB was in a quiet residential area, but very close to lots of shops, restaurants and public spaces.
We visited John F. Kennedy Park and saw the cat population that lives there, fed and looked after by volunteers.
They hold adoption events here, but the cats look content to live in the park where they get plenty of attention.
We went to another supermarket for research purposes, and balanced out our fancy breakfast with a super cheap lunch deal, less than USD 5 for four empanadas and a 1.5 liter Inca Kola.
The final stop on our Miraflores exploration was the Mercardo Indio where we browsed souvenir stalls. We looked at a bunch of stuff that we didn’t want to have to carry around the world, then bought stickers for our water bottles.
Lima Free Walking Tour
We decided to do a free walking tour early into our week in Lima to help us get oriented to the city. So the next day we met up with the Lima By Walking downtown tour outside a Miraflores hostel. The guides shepherded us onto the bus to downtown, which was a pretty intense experience. The bus was very crowded and zoomed along a dedicated lane next to the freeway.
When we got off the bus downtown, the guides separated us into Spanish and English-speaking groups. The tour proper started in the Plaza de Armas, where we arrived just in time to catch the changing of the guard at the Governor’s Palace.
Our next stop was the Basilica of Santo Domingo.
Next we checked out some more historic buildings.
We walked down an interesting passageway which had an amazing arched roof structure. This structure used to have stained glass panels, but unfortunately, these were destroyed in an earthquake.
We also went to the Casa de la Literatura Peruana, set in an old railway station, now a cultural center celebrating Peruvian literature. Here, and at all the other stops, our guide did a good job of providing commentary and some context.
The last stop of the tour was at a shop selling various types of pisco. We enjoyed the free samples, but resisted the temptation to buy any. Of course, the tour wasn’t really free, but tips-based. The guide did a good job, so we were happy to contribute.
More Time in Miraflores
The next day was basically a rest day. Heide and I went out for a great seafood and ceviche lunch at Punto Azul, but apart from that we spent all day in the apartment.
The following day we decided to be a bit more active, starting with a walk along part of the Malecon, a six-mile long park on the cliff tops that overlook the Pacific Ocean. Our first goal was to reach the lighthouse we could see in the distance.
Along the way we watched some surfers in the waters below.
There were various statues and artworks along the way, including this statue of a poet which had been brightened up by the addition of fresh flowers.
We eventually made it to the lighthouse, where we turned back and headed towards one of the main attractions on the Malecon, the Parque del Amor.
Along the way we passed the launch point for paragliders, but unfortunately no one was flying at the time, so we didn’t get to watch any action.
The Parque del Amor is famous for its larger-than-life sculpture, El Beso (The Kiss), created by Peruvian artist Victor Delfín.
The sculpture is surrounded by mosaics and quotes celebrating love. The park is well-used by couples enjoying the romantic atmosphere.
Scenes from Miraflores
After a break for crepes overlooking the water, Heide and Lachlan headed back to the apartment, while I spent a bit more time wandering the streets of Miraflores. The area is an interesting mix of old and new, and we got to know it pretty well during our week in Lima. My aim was to try and capture some of the character of the neighborhood in photos.
Museo Larco
After lunch we took a taxi to the Museo Larco. This is a private museum with an impressive collection of pre-Columbian art and artifacts. As well as being interesting as beautiful objects, the museum gave us some historical information that we thought would be useful context to have as we visited archeological sites during our travels in Peru after our week in Lima.
One of the most interesting things we saw at the museum was a mummy. It looked very different to the Egyptian mummies we are more familiar with.
