Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Galería Lucía de la Puente
( 477-9740;
www.gluciadelapuente.com
;
Sáenz Peña 206; 10:30am-8pm Mon-Fri,
11am-8pm Sat)
A magnificent two-story
casona
is home to Lima's most prestigious con-
temporary art gallery. Look for works by cutting-edge painters such as Fernando Gutiér-
rez, whose canvases often skewer Peruvian culture.
GALLERY
WEST LIMA & CALLAO
To the west of downtown, cluttered lower-middle-class and poor neighborhoods eventu-
ally give way to the port city of Callao, where the Spanish once shipped their gold. Trav-
elers should approach Callao with caution, since some areas are dangerous, even during
the day.
Parque de Las Leyendas
( 717-9878;
www.leyendas.gob.pe
; Av Las Leyendas 580-86, San Miguel; adult/child
S10/5; 9am-6pm)
Located between Central Lima and Callao, the zoo covers Peru's
major geographical divisions: coast, mountains and jungle. There are 210 native animals,
with a few imports (such as hippos). The conditions are OK, and the zoo is well main-
tained.
In Central Lima, catch buses and
colectivos
(shared taxis) that travel past the park at Av
Abancay and Garcilaso de la Vega. These run roughly every 30 minutes.
PARK
Fortaleza del Real Felipe
( 429-0532; Plaza Independencia, Callao; admission S1; 9am-2pm)
In the 1820s,
the Spanish royalists made their last stand during the battle for independence at this his-
toric fort, which was built in 1747 to guard against pirates. It still houses a small military
contingent. Visits are by guided tours in Spanish only.
On the western flank of the fort, don't miss an opportunity to stroll through the truly
bizarre
Parque Tématico de la Policía
(Police Park), a nicely landscaped garden that is
dotted with police tanks and life-size statues of policemen in riot gear - a perfect place for
those surreal family vacation photos.
Note that the nearby dock area is quite a rough neighborhood; travel by taxi.
FORT
LA PUNTA
A narrow peninsula that extends west into the Pacific Ocean, La Punta was once a fishing
hamlet, and later, in the 19th century, an upscale summer beach resort. Today this pleasant
