Peru is a traveler’s magnet, luring people with varied attractions like the steaming Amazon jungle, arid deserts, colonial towns and, of course, the legendary Incan ruins at Machu Picchu. Most travelers only fly into the capital, Lima, before heading straight to Cusco – the gateway to Machu Picchu. But skipping this metropolis, also known as the “City of Kings” is a mistake you shouldn’t make.
Lima has had a rough-and-tumble reputation in the past, which led travelers to cut their time here short. But with cheap flights readily available and an ever-strengthening tourism infrastructure, you’ll find that spending a few days in Lima will be well worth it. Costs are slightly higher here than in the more remote towns of the countryside, but still low compared to other international capitals and even some medium-sized U.S. cities. With sites like Travelocity.com, you can create cheap vacation packages that combine airfare and hotels to get an even better deal.
Here’s a short list of things to do and see in Lima.
* Go out for dinner. Peru’s national cuisine is complex, steeped in history and incredibly delicious. It’s trending across the globe as a newly rediscovered treasure. One thing you shouldn’t miss in seaside Lima is one of the national dishes: ceviche, fish marinated in citrus juices. The acidity of the lemon or, more often, lime juice actually cooks the fish, but leaves it tender and flavorful. Other traditional dishes to try are lomo saltado, papas a la Huancaina and cuy (also known as guinea pig).
* Go for a stroll. Lima offers some truly beautiful and fascinating neighborhoods and they’re often best explored on foot. The historic center of the city is choc-a-bloc with colonial buildings embellished with carved balconies and grilles. It is also rich with elaborate churches slathered in gold decoration, a trademark of Spanish colonial influence. Miraflores is a hip and modern part of town with lots of good hotel options and plenty of restaurants to choose from. It’s lively from dawn to dusk, and the centrally located Parque Kennedy is great for relaxing and people watching. The Barranco area is leafy and tranquil, and dotted with elegantly crumbling mansions that evoke the turn of the 20th century.
* Go museum hopping. Your first stop should be the incredible Museo Larco. Set in beautiful grounds that look like a botanical park, there are two parts of this museum. There is the superbly edited and displayed main museum, covering Incan art and culture, and, as a bonus, there are the storage rooms. Normally, museums don’t put their back catalog on display, but here you can see row after row, room after room of carefully arranged artifacts. Also of interest are the Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru (Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú) and the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro).
When you’re planning your trip to Peru, expect your dollars to go far. From shopping to dining to hotels and cheap flights, you’ll find deals that are hard to imagine in the United States. And in a country filled with amazing sights, friendly people and unforgettable places, you’ll feel like you’re getting the deal of a lifetime.
