Do you only have a few hours to visit Lima? Go to these points

Hello everybody! I hope that you are all well. Today I am thinking about my city and I came up with the following idea. Although it is true that there are many people who come to Lima and stay for more than a day to experience the Peruvian capital, however what happens when you have only one day or a couple of hours to see Lima. Who said it is not possible to see the city of kings in just one day?

Thinking about those people who have limited time to spend in the city of kings but still want an unforgettable experience in the gastronomical capital of America. These are the places that I recommend you should definitely visit on your travels in Lima.

Visit the main square and the centre

The first destination I recommend that you visit is is the historic centre in the direction of the main square and it is in this square that the city of Lima, also known as 'the city of kings' was founded on 18th of January 1535. Here you will be able to find many of my cities important monuments, such as the Government Palace, the cathedral, the Municipal Palace of Lima and the Archbishop palace.

I advise that you get there at 12:00 noon so that you can see the traditional changing of the guards of the Government Palace. It is one of the activities that most attracts people visiting here because you sometimes spontaneously hear different styles of Peruvian music.

In the centre of Lima, depending on how much time you have, start your tour from Plaza de Armas and then walk down a pedestrian street called Jiron de la Union, one of the most lively streets in the centre of Lima. Walking through it, you will come to San Martín square which was created to commemorate the centenary of the independence of Peru. From there you can take a taxi or keep walking until you reach 'Paseo de los Héroes Navales' to go to another district of Lima.

If you are interested in buying souvenirs for your loved ones, be it family, friends or for yourself, in Lima there is a famous Indian market in Miraflores, near “Parque de los Gatos” (Kennedy Park). However in my opinion, if you go to the small Santo Domingo square, since you are already in the centre of Lima, you can find beautiful things at much cheaper prices than you would in Miraflores.

Visit Huaca Pucllana

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Now that you have learned about Lima's colonial past, it's time to also enjoy and learn about Lima's pre-Hispanic past because Lima is not only considered a colonial city but also a millennial city. There are different Huacas throughout the city that have been there through Lima's past. You should bear in mind that the only days that Huaca Pucllana is closed, is Tuesday and the rest of the week it is open to the public. The entrance fee is 10 soles for a guided tour of the sites museum and to learn about the history of Lima and its past through the Huacas.

Walk along Miraflores boardwalk

Lima is the unique capital in South America with access to the Pacific Ocean. In Lima we have our beloved green coast that you can see from part of the boardwalk. Depending on how much time you have, you can start your tour in Kennedy Park, which is the main park in Miraflores and from there walk down the street 'Bajada Balta' until you reach the most romantic park in Lima. This is called the Park of Love because there is a monument of a couple kissing.

I recommend that from here, you continue walking south until you reach the Larcomar shopping centre. On the other hand, although it is like any other shopping centre in the world, you will be able to enjoy the privileged view from this point of the city. If you like taking risks and extreme sports, a few steps from the Park of Love, you will find the Raimondi Park where you can do paragliding over the coasts of Lima, looking at the sea.

Go out to eat in some of its restaurants

It is a sin to come to Lima and not try some of its most delicious flavors. There is something for all budgets, so don't worry, you will find more than one good deal in the city, which until now has been considered the gastronomical capital of South America for the fifth consecutive year. In this case, what the majority of visitors like to try, the traditional 'Ceviche', one of the most delicious fish dishes made with lime that we have in Peru. Where do you recommend to try it? There is a restaurant in Miraflores that is quite well known and it is so popular that there is sometimes a line. This place is called “Punto Azul” and you can order a fish or mixed Ceviche. If you want accompany it with a beer, you can try the beer 'Cuzqueña', and if you don't drink alcohol then don't worry, you can order the 'Chicha morada'! (a Peruvian drinks made with purple corn). Which in my opinion is the perfect combination for this 100% Peruvian dish.

If you want to spend less there you can go to a market such as Surquillo market, which is close to the Ricardo Palma metro station. I can assure you that you an try one of the best Ceviches or creole foods in most of the places there.

Discover the Magic Water Circuit

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If you still have time at night or if you only have time at night, you can still go to the Plaza de Armas and see it lit up where you will notice its charm and you will fall in love with it. So that you can take thousands of pictures of each of monument. However, what I want to recommend is that you take this opportunity to go through one of the more visited parks by foreigners and people from Lima, every night. Although the park is open from the afternoon, it is better to go at night so you can enjoy each fountains music and water and fall in love. This park holds a Guinness World Record for being the biggest water park in a city. How could you miss the chance to go here? Also take into account that the water park is closed for maintenance on Mondays and Tuesdays, so if you are in Lima during the rest of the week, you are in luck!

Tips for your trip to Lima:

Finally I want to give you the following tips which I hope are useful in your travels through Lima.

• If you want to take a taxi and you clearly have a foreign accent, there will be some taxi drivers who will try to take advantage of you. Therefore if you are with someone from Peru, have them order the taxi for you and if you are alone, just keep in mind that in Peru we always try to haggle over prices.
• If you don't eat fish and seafood, you can try different dishes such as 'Anticucherias' (Peruvian kebabs), Chifa (a mix of Chinese and Peruvian food), vegetarian restaurants and creole food restaurants. There is an endless list, for all tastes.
• To get around from the centre of Lima, to the district of Miraflores, you can take the metro. Despite being quite popular with the people of Lima getting from one point to another, I think it is the quickest way to get around the centre of Lima.
• Take care of your things like your camera and mobile phone in places that are less busy in the city as you could be robbed and obviously you don't want to have a bad experience!
• If you want to go to the Huaca Pucllana but it is Tuesday, then there are two other options to learn about the pre-Hispanic era in the sites museum without leaving Lima. The first is the Huaca Huallamarca, which is located in the financial district, San Isidro. It is shaped like a truncated pyramid and the tour doesn't take any more than 40 minutes. If you have more time then you can go to the most important pilgrimage centre on the Peruvian coast. This place is called "Pachacamac" and it is in what would be the Lurin district in the south of Lima.
• If you want to do paragliding, keep in mind that this also depends on the weather conditions and the wind strength on the Green Coast. However, today there are also package deals on pages such as Groupon where you can do paragliding in Lurin, near Pachacamac.
• To explore the centre of Lima, could sometimes take you more than a week. There are so many things to do but I have given you a basic itinerary to give you an idea of its form and history. So if what you want is to learn more about the history of Lima, don't hesitate to visit the 'Museo del Banco Central de Reservas' (BCRP Museum) which is located on the street Ica-Ucayali.
• If you want to try a traditional drink in Lima, we have a delicious Pisco Sour (a citrus cocktail) and in the centre of Lima, the traditional bar in Hotel Bolivar serves the best Pisco sour and after one you are already sour! As we Peruvians say.

I hope that this tour has encouraged you to soon get know my city which has a lot to do. Through these points, I wanted to show you the pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern stages of Lima, as well as give you a feel for its flavor and see the connection between the people from Lima.

Thanks for reading and see you next time. Visit Lima! World Heritage Site by the UNESCO and one of the most lively cities in the region. See you soon!

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