No matter what you plan on doing in Peru it is likely you will start in Lima. It has the biggest airport in the country and so it is the cheapest and easiest starting point to get to.
Usually the capital city of a country is one of the best places to visit to get to know the culture and the people but in Peru I don’t feel this is the case. While Lima does have some great qualities and interesting sights to see. I would only ever spend a couple of days here and its certainly not a place I will come running back to.
With that being said here is how to make the most of your time in Lima!
Explore Miraflores and Barranco
These are the two main tourist districts and so are the safest and most vibrant areas of the city. They are filled with parks, modern art and street art so they are great for a walk, run or guided walking tour.
Miraflores changes a lot at night time as it is a lively place for a night out. I learnt quite unfortunately arriving to my hostel at 2am to what seemed like a nightclub after over a 30 hour travel day. Not my best nights sleep of the trip that’s for sure.
Go surfing
Living in a place where surfing isn’t possible means that any time I get the chance to I’m jumping back on a surf board. While Lima isn’t my favorite place I’ve surfed it was certainly a great way to get rid of some get lag and have some fun. I went surfing at playa Makaha at high tide which meant surfing into a stony beach for the first time which was quite intimidating as a beginner. Had I waited just a couple hours for low tide the same beach would have been a sand break and id probably have enjoyed myself a lot more. So if you’re still new to the sport I’d recommend looking at the tide times and planning a bit more than I did.
Sight see the city center
After a lot of European capitals with very similar cathedrals and squares touring around the more modern city center of Lima is quite refreshing. Its city center has a great mix of Peruvian color and culture and the colonial Spanish religion and architecture. Especially the catacombs of San Francisco and the religious and burial traditions which are continued to this day.
Watch a football game
By far the experience I overpaid for the most for and yet still the most worthwhile couple of hours I spent in Lima. I was walking from the city center to go and see the magic water circuit (which I never saw in the end) when a group of several policemen on horses road past me towards a large crowd of people and the national stadium. I put two and two together and realized this was a chance to see a match in south america and so 5 minutes later I was being dragged up and down the side of the stadium by a local trying to find me a ticket. Half an hour and £50 later (for a ticket that costs £5 originally) I was in the stadium. While it was one of the worst matches of football I’ve ever watched the atmosphere in the stadium was simply incredible and something everyone needs to experience at least once. The passion South Americans have for their football teams is unmatched.
