Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To the northeast, a grandiose structure occupies an entire city block. This is Peru's presid-
ential palace. Time your visit to pass at noon to see the changing of the guard, executed to
the sounds of a brass band tapping out 'El Condor Pasa.'
Parque de la Muralla
On the southern banks of the Río Rímac is this pleasant city park, installed along the re-
mains of the colonial
muralla
(city wall).
Monasterio de San Francisco
Afterwards, walk along Amazonas to Lampa to this fabled church containing a stunning
colonial-era library, as well as underground catacombs full of skulls and bones.
Plaza Bolívar
Cross Av Abancay to this small colonial plaza, strolling past the old Congress, a neoclas-
sical building constructed over the site of the Inquisition Tribunals.
Mercado Central
Follow Ayacucho two blocks south, to the Central Market, where stalls of goods feature
everything from cuts of beef to soccer jerseys to mountains of Andean fruit.
El Barrio Chino
Calle Capón is a short pedestrian passageway that serves as the heart of Lima's miniscule
Chinatown. It's an excellent spot for tea and an end-of-walk Cantonese meal.
Lima in…
TWO DAYS
After a walking tour of the city's colonial heart, view the Chancay pottery at the pristine
Museo Andrés del
Castillo
. End the day with a pisco sour at
El Bolivarcito
, the renowned bar inside the Gran Hotel Bolívar.
The next day, go pre-Columbian or contemporary. See breathtaking artifacts at the
Museo Larco
or a gripping
exhibit on the Internal Conflict at the
Museo de la Nación
. In the afternoon stroll through
Barranco
, full of 19th-
century mansions, or visit
Huaca Pucllana
, the pre-Columbian temple site in Miraflores.
Spend the evening sampling
novoandina
(Peruvian nouvelle cuisine) at one of the city's many fine restaurants.
