Life in Lima

If you have the good fortune to visit Peru, you will want to start your trip by flying into Lima, the capital city and travel hub for Peruvian adventure.

Founded in 1535 by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro as the Ciudad de los Reyes, Lima is now a cosmopolitan metropolis packed with interesting places to go and things to do. You can walk around the historic city center, the Plaza de Armas, to admire colonial buildings like the Catedral de Lima, where Pizarro is supposedly buried, and the Government Palace, or go to the Iglesia de San Francisco to see the catacombs and the restored remains of Lima’s city walls.

You can go to museums to see pottery and gold, visit pre-colonial archaeological sites, make your way to the oldest bullfighting ring in South America, see the condors at the zoo, or tour the seaport of Callao. You can visit the city’s picturesque neighborhoods. In Barranco, you can relax at a café. In Miraflores, you can visit a popular art museum, shop the boutiques, or buy handicrafts at the Mercado Indio.

Lima is famous for its international cuisine, which combines African, Asian, British, Basque, French, Italian, Pre-Inca, and Spanish cuisines and styles. Try anticuchos or tamales from street vendors and ceviche at the restaurants. Taste dishes made with Peruvian potatoes or the rocoto pepper. And don’t forget to order the Lima beans!

Lima also offers concerts, theaters, nighttime walks through the Circuito Mágico de Agua to look at the lights on the fountains, and there’s no lack of outdoors activities—swimming, surfing, biking, wind-surfing, and paragliding are all easily accessible.
Explore More:

1. Go online to search for panoramic views and videos of city life in Lima.

2. Go online and see if you can find a simple recipe for a dish that would be served in a restaurant in Lima. If you can find the ingredients, see if you can make the dish.

 

Share What you Know:

How’s your Spanish? Suppose that you and your family are headed to the city of Lima, and it is up to you to help everyone get around town and have a good vacation. Make a checklist of the types of things that people have to do on vacation, such as book a hotel room and get directions. Assess your Spanish capabilities and check off the situations that you know you could handle. Keep your list and check off the remaining items as you acquire more Spanish. Write some conversations that you might have in Lima, using online travel resources for place or street names, and practice them in class.