After spending four days in Cusco, Pia and I flew to Lima for the weekend before we then flew back to London. We loved every minute of our time in Lima.
It was sooo different to Cusco, but in the best way. It’s such a buzzing, contemporary city with a very cool art scene, and with a really beautiful historic district.
Where to stay: Iberostar Selection Miraflores
I’d already spent a night in Lima before I flew to Cusco, where I stayed in the historic district at the Sheraton Lima in an outrageously huge suite. However, it was a very old fashioned hotel, and while I enjoyed one night feeling as though I were in a 70s Bond film, the hotel we stayed at for the weekend in Miraflores was beautiful, modern, and perfectly located in the Miraflores neighbourhood.
Featuring a rooftop pool complete with a bar, we had a blissful stay at the contemporary Iberostar Selection Miraflores, and loved the rooftop sunsets. I’d recommend staying here and getting an Uber or taxi to the historic district, rather than staying in the historic district and Uber-ing to the Miraflores area.
Day 1 in Lima
Explore the historic district on your first day in Lima! Honestly I totally fell in love with Lima the day I visited the historic district, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it’s sooo beautiful and felt very relaxed.
I personally did a self-guided tour, but you can book a tour that takes you to all of the below sites for only £20!
Plaza San Martin
Get an Uber or taxi from your hotel in Miraflores to the Plaza San Martin. You’ll start your little self-guided tour of the historic district here.
Built in the early 20th Century and surrounded by beautiful beaux-arts architecture, the square is a constant buzz of activity, with churros sellers, little stalls, and a huge statue of the liberator of Peru, José de San Martín (who the plaza is named for), who sits astride a horse, at the center of the plaza.
Iglesia de la Merced
From Plaza San Martin, walk 5-minutes along Jirón de la Unión to Iglesia de la Merced, aka, the Basilica and Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced.
A Roman Catholic church believed to be one of the oldest in Lima, it was built in 1535 and designed in the Baroque style known as Churrigueresque. You can take a look inside the church – like most of Peru’s churches, it’s incredibly ornate inside!
Plaza Mayor de Lima
Next, you’ll want to continue walking up the same road towards the incredible Plaza Mayor de Lima. This is the main square in the city, and where Lima itself was founded. It’s surrounded by beautiful, historic architecture, with the Cathedral on the east side of the square.
The square actually took my breath away, and I couldn’t stop taking photos I was just in awe of it!
Around the square are lots of shops and restaurants, so just wander and explore and slowly make your way over to the cathedral!
Catedral de Lima
The current version of Lima’s grand cathedral was built between 1602 and 1797, and dedicated to St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. But the original structure was built in 1535, when the founder of Lima, Francisco Pizarro, laid the first stone.
Like a lot of Peru’s churches, the Cathedral was built on the site of the Inca shrine of the Puma Inti and the palace of the Cuscoan prince Sinchi Puma, a direct descendant of the Inca Sinchi Roca.
When Francisco Pizarro founded Lima (aka, when the Spanish colonized it, *ahem*), he assigned a plot of land to the church, making Sinchi Puma renounce his assets on paper certified by a notary, so that the occupation of the site chosen for the church would not mean usurpation of ownership.
You need to pay a fee to enter the Cathedral and join a tour (you must join a tour), but it’s a very small amount and is worth the cost, and the tour was actually really interesting. Also, like most of the Catholic churches in Peru, the cathedral is full of rather creepy and realistic looking statues!
Lunch and Pisco Sours at Museo del Pisco
Now, for lunch you’ll want to go to Museo del Pisco, which is just next door to the cathedral. I had the most incredible meal here, and one of the best pisco cocktails I’ve ever tasted!
Drink-wise, I chose the DOÑA LUCHA, which is Pisco with lemongrass, green apple, and passionfruit. Lemongrass and passionfruit are both native to Peru, so I had them as much as I could while I was there!
For my meal, I chose the Ceviche (of course), and then I also got the Tequeños, which consisted of Peruvian flavors wrapped in wonton pastry with guacamole.
Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
After lunch, wander around the backstreets towards the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco (seriously, this place is a dream for Catholics). Stop off at all the little shops enroute to purchase souvenirs and treats to take home with you!
While the facade of the basilica is in a Liman Baroque style, the interior is more of a Neoclassical style, and you’re able to visit the catacombs and the museum, the portal, the chapter house and the cloister. In the library, there are over 25,000 volumes, with some dating back to the 16th century!
Halfway up to the second floor on the woven brick staircase you’re able to see the magnificent Mudéjar dome, which was initially built in 1546, and after an earthquake was finally rebuilt in 1655.
If you really want to know more about the basilica and convent, you can book a tour for only around £30, and the tour will take you around Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martin as well.
Municipal Palace of Lima
Your final stop of the day before you can relax, is the Municipal Palace of Lima, aka, the government headquarters.
There are free tours running daily (no need to book), and they only last about 30-minutes so they’re not too long. There are some really cute streets next to and behind the Municipal Palace, so make sure to explore those as well!
Lemongrass lemonade at Casa Tambo
Finally, you can relax. Walk up to the very photogenic Casa Tambo for a lemongrass lemonade in their beautiful courtyard, before getting a taxi or Uber back to the hotel to have some relaxing time by the pool.
Dinner at Mayta, Miraflores
After getting changed and ready for dinner, order an Uber to take you to Mayta, for a very special dinner at one of Lima’s best restaurants. Ranking No.41 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 list, and No.10 on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list, you can expect some of the very best food Lima has to offer.
You’ll need to book a table at least 6 weeks in advance (bookings open three months in advance, so try and book when they open if you can).
Pia and I absolutely loved our dinner at Mayta. It includes ten courses and was such a special experience and really blew us away! I mean, just look at the dessert!!
Drinks at Carnaval, San Isidro
After your epic dinner at Mayta, go to Carnaval in San Isidro. Ranking No.43 on the 50 Best Bars in the World list, Carnaval is world-renowned and full of kooky interior design choices, friendly bar staff, and incredible cocktails!
Book a table in advance, or sit up at the bar and work your way through their cocktail menu!
Opt for the ‘Gran Carnaval’, a tasting menu of seven house specialities, including the ‘Alegria, alegoria’ (‘Joy, allegory’), made with gin, elderberry liqueur, cucumber, lime and mint, presented in a ceramic cup evocative of a Chupa Chups lolly dispenser.
Personally, I was obsessed with this lychee cocktail!
Day 2 in Lima
Your second day is going to be much slower and more laid-back than the first day. Today is all about Miraflores, and enjoying Peru’s foodie culture.
Parque Kennedy
Start the day with a morning walk to Parque Kennedy (named after President John F. Kennedy), a really lovely little park full of friendly cats that are looked after by the park groundskeepers.
On the weekend there’s a great flea market here where you can buy everything from food items to handicrafts and flowers.
Shopping at Larcomar
Larcomar is a ridiculously cool, upscale shopping centre where Pia and I got totally sucked into all the shops! It’s right on the beach and has the most magical views over the ocean – I mean, it’s literally located on the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean.
With over 160 shops and restaurants, you can easily spend an hour or two here and still not be bored.
Walk along El Malecón (Miraflores Boardwalk)
Once you’ve spent the morning shopping, walk along El Malecón, Lima’s scenic clifftop walkway that stretches for six miles! This was actually one of Pia’s favourite things in Lima, and it takes you all through the very cool Barranco district.
Dotted along the route are lots of parks, sculptures, cafes, and a lighthouse, so there’s loads to see on the route and a pretty place to sit to enjoy the view.
The walk along El Malecón from Larcomar to your lunch destination is about an hour if you take a slow pace. If you’d rather not walk, you can always get an Uber.
Late Lunch at Cala Restaurante Barranco
Book a table 2-4 weeks in advance, and enjoy a late lunch at Cala Restaurante in Barranco. Pia and I actually had Easter Sunday lunch here, and loved the food so, so much. The views were also to die for!
I loved the traditional ceviche, and then I had the spinach and mushroom gnocci for mains which was beautiful!
I honestly don’t think I had a bad meal the whole time I was in Peru.
We each finished with a berries cheesecake for dessert, which was just mouthwateringly good.
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC)
After lunch, either walk half an hour or get an Uber to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC) for some culture time! Founded in 2013, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Lima (MAC Lima ) is the only institution dedicated exclusively to contemporary artistic practices in Peru.
Open Tuesdays-Sundays, 10am-7pm, tickets are just 20 soles (around $6 USD / £4 GBP) and can be bought in advance via their website.
There are three halls to visit, each hosting a collection of modern and contemporary Latin American art, as well as temporary exhibitions of emerging and established artists.
Sunset drinks at 27 Tapas
Relax by the pool and enjoy sunset drinks at 27 Tapas, the bar at the top of the Iberostar Selection Miraflores, where you’ll hopefully be staying!
Then, get ready for one final, special dinner in Lima.
Dinner at Astrid y Gaston
Astrid y Gaston is from the same chef as Chicha, where I dined in Cusco. Gaston Acurio is known as the godfather of Peruvian cuisine, and his restaurants in Peru are known for being very fairly priced so local Peruvians aren’t excluded from dining there.
Our whole meal at Astrid y Gaston only cost around £40 each, for three courses plus a cocktail and service charge!
The food and cocktails were honestly so, so incredible, and I haven’t stopped raving about Astrid y Gaston to everyone who’ll listen since I got home from Peru! It was one of my favourite restaurants in Peru (if not the favourite), and if you visit Lima you HAVE to visit! Just make sure you book a table 6-8 weeks in advance.
Day 3 in Lima
On day three, either head home, or fly to Cusco to explore the Sacred Valley!
I loved Lima so much, it’s such a beautiful city and has a really fascinating history. I adored seeing the historic district and then experiencing a totally different side of the city with Miraflores and Barranco.
The food was also honestly the best I’ve ever had anywhere in the world – every single meal was incredible, I didn’t have a single bad meal the whole time I was in Peru.
If you haven’t been to Lima, you need to go, even if it’s just for a couple of days!
