We had booked a rental car for part of our trip, but were beginning to regret it after getting around our first few days in the city in an Uber. We seriously wondered how we were going to survive. The fact that, surprisingly, we did not witness any car accident was a bit of a relief. Most streets, and many parks and squares, in Lima are named after important historical dates. For example a street name may be “calle Julio 7” (or July 7th street.) This can be particularly difficult for tourists to memorize or be able to find it in a map (unless you type it on google maps).  

However, once you get out of Lima, traffic is not a problem at all. We decided to use one of the days we were in Lima to do a road trip to Huacachina. The 4-hour drive was such a huge contrast compared to the city when it came to traffic. 

Weather

We visited Lima in late May. As a shoulder season, transitioning from Fall to Winter, the weather hovered comfortably around a temperate 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It was the perfect temperature to explore the city during the day for hours. However, if you do visit Lima during this time of the year you might need a light jacket to venture out at night. We also experienced a lot of fog, especially in the morning. Interestingly, this coastal city does not receive a lot of rain. Precipitation is about 0.6 inch per year. There is virtually no rainfall during the year. This might be the reason why you will notice there are no storm drains in the streets of Lima. 

Culinary capital of the World

Lima is known as the gastronomic capital of the Americas, having won awards for best culinary destination 8 years in a row. After all my travels, I can say without a doubt that Peruvian cuisine is my favorite. Not only does Peru has renowned chefs and restaurants, but the richness of its culture is deliciously infused in their unique dishes. 

Lima is well known for its fresh ceviche which you can find everywhere in the city. Ceviche is an original Peruvian dish typically made from fresh raw seafood cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lemon or lime, and spiced with ají, chili peppers, chopped red onions, salt, and coriander. Being a pacific coastal city, Lima offers the best ceviche in the world. Trying this dish when visiting Lima is a must! 

Besides ceviche, some of the best dishes we tried in Lima were: Peruvian rotisserie chicken with potato fries, lomo saltado (steak), steak sandwich, fried yuca, anticuchos (cow’s heart), sudado de pescado (seafood soup) and chaufa rice (Chinese fusion). Most of these meals are usually served with humongous corn kernels of Peruvian corn, called Choclo. We’ve never seen such big kernels before! One thing to note is that in most places the serving portions in Peru are very generous. 

We cannot forget about the delicious national liquor: Pisco, and the national drink Pisco Sour. We lost count of how many of these we had during the trip, but we do not regret it. Pisco is a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice, which categorizes it as a brandy. Its alcoholic volume ranges between 38% and 48%, which makes it pretty strong. One of these can be enough (sometimes)! We liked it so much, we made sure we brought a bottle back home.

Miraflores and nearby neighborhoods

Miraflores is the most recommended place to stay by everybody, and now we understand why. This upscale residential and commercial area of Lima has plenty of hotels, restaurants, bars, parks and shopping centers. We chose to stay at Apart Hotel Petit Palace Suites because of its location and free parking. It was a great value for the price of $56 per night which included breakfast delivered to the room. The suite also comes with a kitchenette, ideal if you want to save some money. 

The first day we arrived in Lima, we made it to the hotel around 8:00 pm, excited and hungry. After a quick Yelp search we found a restaurant within walking distance from the hotel and we ventured out in search of our first official Peruvian dish in Lima. When we arrived at Panchita restaurant, we immediately noticed the first good sign: there was a 45 minute waiting list. We put our names down, even more excited than before, and walked to a nearby bar to try our first pisco sour, of many we would later consume during this trip. By the time we walked back to the restaurant our table was ready and our stomachs were too! The food was amazing and gave us a good idea of what to expect on the rest of the trip: delicious, generously portioned meals. We ordered different steak dishes and, of course, more pisco sour. At the end of the feast we walked back to the hotel and slept like happy babies.

The next day we had planned to explore Lima as much as possible. After having breakfast at the hotel, and thinking about avoiding the big crowds of tourists in the later hours of the day, we took an early cool morning 1-mile walk to visit Parque del Amor (Park of Love.) On the way we noticed the modern skyline of the city and multiple quaint parks all around, many with outdoor exercising equipment. It was common to see people jogging and exercising all around the parks early in the morning. 

Finally, we arrived at our destination. The famous Park of Love sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and (when the fog allowed us to) we gazed down at the daring surfers tackling spectacular waves. The park is easy to find due to the huge sculpture titled “El Beso” (The Kiss) right in the middle of the park. The enormous statue depicts the sculptor, Victor Delfinhim, and his wife in a romantic embrace. The park is decorated with colorful mosaic walls and seats that contain romantic verses and poems. It makes sense why public displays of affection are so common in this city. We witnessed lovers hugging and kissing very frequently especially at the numerous parks throughout the city. This city is full of love! 

Admiring the immensity of the Pacific Ocean on our right, we kept walking along the Miraflores Boardwalk for about a mile when we stumbled upon a bronze sculpture of Paddington Bear. This statue was gifted to the municipality of Miraflores by the British Embassy and was unveiled in July of 2015 to commemorate the strong ties between the UK and Peru (Paddington’s original home in the story.) 

We continued on the paved path overlooking the sea until we found the semi outdoor Shopping Mall Larcomar. The walk from Park of Love to Larcomar was only one mile. This shopping plaza is frequented by tourists as it offers international shopping and food options such as Banana Republic, Guess, Gap, Starbucks, KFC Burger King, among others. 

However we spotted a local sandwich chain shop called La Lucha and decided to buy their lomo fino (steak) sandwich to share. The sandwich has all the components that a great sandwich must have: perfect crusty bread, tender juicy meat, edam cheese, and caramelized onions. After enjoying that piece of local cuisine in the middle of Larcomar shopping mall, we were ready to keep exploring more of the local spots.

We walked for another mile to Parque Kennedy. Located at the center of the Miraflores district, Kennedy Park is known as the unofficial main square of Lima. There’s always something happening here. It’s a convenient and centric spot for tourists and locals to meet up bustling with street art vendors, sculptures and local eateries. We even bumped into a lively music session that was part of a local event to raise money for affordable housing. Local families and tourists alike gathered around the young musicians to move their bodies to the beat of the drums. We then walked to the nearby Miraflores Indian Market and browsed the wide variety of handmade crafts mixed with, the always present, made-in-China ones.

Surquillo

A mile away from Parque Kennedy, and bordering Miraflores (north-east of Miraflores,) we walked on Av. Ricardo Palma over the bridge to Surquillo district, to visit the Surquillo Market. This vibrant and bustling market is a must see attraction for anyone looking to get a real taste of life in Lima. It’s the perfect place to interact with the locals, browse their wide variety of fresh produce, and taste local cuisines. 

Although we arrived late (they close early at 4pm on Sundays) we were able to find a few stands that were still serving food. We ordered some local beer and a dish of chaufa and ceviche, served with (of course!) those huge kernels or Choclo. Ryan really loved those kernels!

With a full belly and happy heart we explored the market. When we travel we love to visit local grocery stores and markets to learn about the variety of local and international products they sell. This offers such a unique local experience since grocery shopping is a regular activity you must engage wherever you live. We were impressed by the variety of fresh produce avaliable, especially potatoes. In Peru, you can find over 4,000 varieties of native potatoes. They come in every shape and color, including blue, yellow, red, pink and even bright purple Peruvian potatoes. Oh, and yes, they all taste amazing! We finally arrived at the hotel in time to get a bit of rest, take showers and go back out! 

Fountain show

Once the sun went down we hopped in an Uber to get to Lima’s Circuito Mágico del Agua (Magic Water Circuit) located in the Parque de la Reserva (Park of the Reserve), only 4 miles away from the hotel. This colorful fountain show was fascinating. It opened in 2007 at a cost of $13 million, and it counts with the series of 13 illuminated fountains. Upon its construction, the Magic Water Circuit made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest water fountain complex in a public park. It has some fun interactive fountains, so get ready to get wet! The show is really espectacular and can make for a romantic night out. The best thing, the entrance fee is only US$1.50, and it opens Wednesday to Sunday from 3:00pm to 10:30pm. 

After enjoying a couple hours strolling through the fountains we were ready to eat, again! In Lima, that’s not a problem. There are plenty of options, and we were never disappointed. We called in an Uber  and after asking for recommendations he suggested Don Tito restaurant for the best Peruvian chicken. 

Only a 4.5 mile drive away we were able to make it just in time to be the last customers admitted. We ordered a pisco sour to warm up and anticuchos (cow’s heart) as appetizer. This was our first time trying it and we loved it. I would describe anticuchos as a very tender marinated steak which they served on a stick.  For the main course we ordered the famous juicy Peruvian style rotisserie chicken with papas (Peruvian fries) which is always served with a variety of dipping sauces on the side. We had tried Peruvian chicken multiple times in the Washington DC area and its suburbs, and we always liked it, but it pales in comparison to the real deal. To our surprise, in Lima, the chicken was even juicier, the fries tastier and the sauces richer. Ever since this trip we’ve experienced recurring cravings for this dish made in Peru. 

Main Square

On our third day in Lima we drove out of the city for 4 hours to the Huacachina Oasis, spent the night there, and drove back before sunrise the next day to continue exploring more of Lima. After returning the rental car, and eating some more Peruvian chicken and papas, we ventured out by foot (again!) until we arrived at Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas of Lima (Lima’s main square). This is the birthplace of the city of Lima, as well as the core of the city. Located in the Historic Centre of Lima, it is surrounded by the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union. The first time we went we witnessed a protest being held by the union of the city’s custodians demanding better working conditions and benefits. Even the police had to fence off the main square. 

We decided to continue walking as the sun set and arrived at a lively area nearby with food stands and people playing music and dancing. From here we had a perfect view of Los Libertadores bridge, an eye-catching modern cable-stayed bridge. The bridge was built in 2010 and later was declared an icon as a gift to Lima citizens in celebration of the independence bicentennial. The result is an ultra bright, full color effect for the 12 steel bands that span from the top of the bridge to the bank of the Rimac River, perfectly tracing the architectural design of the bridge.

With the gorgeous view of the bridge as our background we joined one of the street music parties happening where locals were enjoying the dancing. A traditional Mexican singer, attired perfectly with the indistinguishable Mexican sombrero was part of the show that night. We were enjoying the show when all of a sudden the singer asked Wilmarie to join the show. Surrounded by dozens of expectators, she smiled and danced with him while he kept referring to her as “guera,” mexican slang for blondie. While it was awkward for her, the rest of us joked about the experience for the rest of the trip! 

Barranco

After a 20-minute Uber ride from the Main Square, we arrived at Lima’s offbeat district of Barranco. This area is considered to be the city’s most romantic and bohemian, being the home and working place of many of Peru’s leading artists, musicians, designers and photographers. This made even more sense when we came across a few small groups of young locals smoking weed. Spending an evening here should be on anyone’s itinerary when visiting Lima. There are plenty of great restaurant options, alleys filled with murals and wall art, and a bridge with another great view to the ocean. 

Speaking of bridges, here we came across the legendary Puente de los Suspiros or Bridge of Sighs. The small, 98-feet long, wooden bridge built in 1876 seems ordinary at first, extending above a pathway used mainly by fishermen headed to the sea. However, in the mid-1900s it became a hot spot for poets and lovers drawn to its picturesque surroundings, making it the perfect place to woo an eligible bachelor or bachelorette. Over time the bridge developed a reputation for breathy sighs of longing lovers which gave it the nickname “The Bridge of Sighs.”  Today legend states that those who set sight on the bridge for the first time are entitled to a single wish if they can cross its length without taking a single breath. And, of course, we did it! 

After holding our breath and making a wish, we browsed through the many restaurants finally settling on Restaurante Javier. There we ate a rich sudado de pescado, which is a Peruvian fish soup mainly made of steamed fish (Corvina) and boiled yuca or cassava. The mix of flavors is so rich and unique that it’s hard to compare to any other soup we’ve ever tried. It was the perfect meal for a cool late-May night in Barranco. After this delicious meal we strolled through the alleys admiring the many colorful murals and inscripted poems on the walls until we arrived at a very unique looking bar. 

Located right in front of Barranco’s main square, we found a small English train wagon doubling as a bar. Cafe Expreso Virgen de Guadalupe offers coffee, alcoholic beverages, a menu that includes vegetarian options, and live music. The wagon dates back to the 1970s when it was brought from England and still maintains its elegant original appearance. The rustic wooden decoration and dim lighting, accompanied by live guitar music, makes it a great spot for a date night. We sipped on a pisco shot while relaxed to the sound of the live guitar singer. It really was the perfect last night in Lima. We were now ready for next day’s adventure that would take us to the Sacred Valley region, and one step closer to our final destination: Machu Picchu.