Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city. Because of its climate, the locals never have to bother carrying an umbrella because it never rains here. With an long history of Spanish colonial rule, Lima mixes, in a very interesting way, the modern city with the colonial style.
Location
Lima is located on the Pacific Ocean’s coast, in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers. The urban area is located on almost flat terrain but within the city there are several isolated hills.
How to get to Lima
Jorge Chavez International Airport is the capital’s airport which receives a lot of flights from all over the world. It’s really well connected to other cities in South America, receives regular flights from North America –Miami, Atlanta, Huston, Newark and Toronto– and daily flights from Europe –Amsterdam and Madrid. The airport is also an important hub for the domestic flights.
Although you can reach Lima by bus, the capital doesn’t have a big bus terminal. Most of the companies are not in the “nicest” neighborhood of the capital and generally tourists tend to avoid it and prefer to fly.
Climate and temperatures
Lima’s capital is quite mild and is a blend of subtropical and desert. Its microclimate makes it really humid though. The temperatures vary from mild to warm but are never too cold or too hot.
Morning fog is common from June to December and low clouds are common from May to November. Both account for the high humidity. The summer is sunny and warm and lasts from December until April. Winter is cool and damp and lasts from June to October. Rain is pretty uncommon but occasional drizzles occur in winter.
Summer: Feb/Mar avg high 80 F / 26 C ; avg low 69 F / 20 C
Winter: Aug avg high 66 F / 18 C; avg low 60 F / 15 C
Plaza de Armas is the main square in downtown Lima, where both locals and tourists flock to soak up the atmosphere.
La Iglesia de San Francisco is located in downtown Lima and has colonial style architecture. The underground catacombs feature hundreds of real human skeletons arranged in artistic pattern. There is also a very interesting library with mysterious oversized books.
Museo Larco Herrera is a great place to learn about the development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history over the past 3,000 years. The museum is famous for its ample collection of erotic pottery from the Mochica culture and the Gold & Jewelry of Ancient Peru exhibition.
Museo de Oro del Perú (Peru’s gold museum) contains a huge collection of gold works. Might be an interesting visit but according to Peru’s consumer protection agency most of the Peruvian gold collection is actually fake.
Pachacamac is an archeological site located at about 25 km/15.5 miles outside the city. It contains pre-Inca and Inca temples but they are not well preserved. You can see the ruins only from the road and you will need a pair of binoculars. There is an on-site museum but it’s not very rich.
You can also take a day trip to Islas Palomino (Palomino Islands), located at a short distance from the port. The islands are home to sea lions, Peruvian boobies and Guanay cormorants.
Lima is the best place to try the Peruvian cuisine, which is rich in sea-food and uses ingredients from the coast, the mountains and the Amazon regions. “Ceviche” is the “Peruvian national dish” and you must try it while visiting Lima.
Tips:
For whatever reason, it’s very hard to exchange money other than Euro and US Dollar in Lima. In the airport the exchange rates never favor the traveler and the service fees are ridiculously high.
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