Attractions
Places of interest:
The once-called City ok King, founded in 1535, is the gateway to Peru’s main attractions.
Lima has sunny beaches, modern residences and gardens in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, and flowered boulevards and colonial buildings dowtown.
Casa de Aliaga:
Casa de Aliaga is the only colonial house in America which is still occuppied by the same original family (Jerónimo de Aliaga was one of Pizarro’s soldiers). It maintains its colonial style and has a ceiling of the early Lima times. Located at Jr. de la Union 224, beside Government Palace and the Central Post Office.
Plaza de Armas:
Once considered the heart of old Lima, this grand plaza features many important architectural monuments and buildings including a magnificent bronze fountain dating from 1650, the Archbishop's Palace with its elegant balconies and the Government Palace dating from 1924, an impressive house where the President lives. A visit to it is worthwhile. Try watch the change of guard at 11.45 am every day.
Plaza San Martín:
From the Plaza Mayor we take the Jirón de la Unión, a long pedestrian street (full of shops and restaurants) that connects with the Plaza San Martín, a big square built in the beginning of this century. At the centre, there is an statue of General San Martín, the Argentinian liberator of Peru built for the Independence 100th anniversary in 1821. In the surroundings, there are arcaded buildings with shops, night clubs, restaurants and hotels.
San Francisco Monastery:
The church and monastery of San Francisco, notable for its baroque architecture and catacombs is situated in the corner of Jr. Ancash and Jr. Lampa. The church was built in the 17th century with the famous Sevillian tiles. It counts with an extensive old library that offers some rarities: José de Rivera's paintings, a "hidden" (not often seen) museum of religious art and the well-visited catacombs (under the religious complex), said to contain the remains of 70,000-90,000 people. It is preferable to take a guided tour, also available in English.
Pachacamac:
Pachacámac, the "king" of all the Lima's archaeological sites, is located at 30 km. south of Lima, by the Panamerican Highway, in the left turn-off to Lurín. A pre-inca and Inca group of temples, plazas and urban zones, dominates the Lurín valley and all the area of present Lima. At the entrance there is a site museum which explains you the development of this area. From here you can take a long circular dirt road to visit the different pyramidal buildings ending at the Temple of Sun, in the top place of Pachacámac. You need half a day to visit this major site.
Museums:
The Rafael Larco Herrera Museums:
This museum houses an impressive collection of ceramics plus exhibits of mummies, a gold room, textiles made from feathers and a unique collection of pre-Columbian erotica depicting the sexual practices of a number of Peruvian cultures.
Address: Av. Bolívar 1515. Pueblo Libre, Lima 21. Telephone: 461-1312
Art Museum:
It exhibits far more than art. Its collection ranges from colonial furniture to Precolumbian artifacts as well as canvases spanning 400 year of Peruvian art.
Address: Paseo Colon 125, Lima. Telephone: 426-6332
National Museum Anthropology & Archaeology:
The extensive archaeological collection in this museum includes more than 100,000 items from pre-Hispanic cultures including ceramics, metals, funeral offerings and carved stone figures.
Address: Plaza Bolivar, Av San Martin and Vivanci in Pueblo Libre. Telephone: 463-5070
Gold Museum:
Two separate colections in the same private building, owned by the Mujica Gallo family. The incredibly rich Gold Museum is in a huge basemant vault. The thousands of gold pieces range from ear plugs to ponchos embroidered with hundreds of solid gold plates.
Address: Alonso de Molina 1100, Santiago de Surco. Telephone: 345-1271
Amano Museum:
Museum features the private collection of Mr. Yoshitaro Amano that contains selected pieces of ceramics and textiles, arranged chronologically to illustrate the development of weaving throughout Peru's pre-Columbian cultures, featuring special items from the Chancay culture.
Address: Retiro 160 Miraflores. Telephone: 441-2909
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