Lima is a dream destination for both food lovers and city explorers alike. As Peru’s vibrant capital, Lima has much to offer – from delicious local eateries.
Lima is a dream destination for both food lovers and city explorers alike.
As Peru’s vibrant capital, Lima has much to offer – from delicious local eateries to guided walking, eating and biking tours; all organized by locals who not only inform you about the rich history of this beautiful city but also take you to hidden local gems to eat and explore. During our brief but memorable stopover en route to Machu Picchu, we fell in love with all that the city has to offer.
Once there, don’t forget to try the local fruits, delicious ceviche, chifa and pisco sour.
About Lima
Lima is a bustling capital that combines historical charm with modern energy. Depending on where you are staying, Lima can be a very safe and friendly destination with much to offer. Known for its world-class culinary scene and vibrant nightlife, the city offers a mix of cultural activities, exciting tours, and local flavours.
The best time to visit Lima is during the summer months (December to March); however, this is also the busiest time of the year, so expect higher prices, crowded streets, and the need to book restaurants and tours in advance. We visited Lima in October and, while, it wasn’t as warm, we enjoyed our trip as there were lighter crowds and the restaurants & tours were generally available.
Our Experience
While planning our Machu Picchu hike, we decided to visit Lima mostly because of Lima’s culinary scene. We had read and heard so much about the food offerings in Lima that we just had to add it to our overall Peru itinerary.
We planned to spend two days in Lima and decided to explore the city by foot and on bicycles. Looking back, we are glad we made that decision because we experienced parts of the city and ate local fruits which we wouldn’t have otherwise.
Overall, we absolutely loved spending time in and exploring Lima.
Stay: Arawi Miraflores Prime
Arawi Miraflores Prime is an upscale hotel located in the Miraflores locality and is walking distance from Kennedy Park, Huaca Pucllana, and Larcomar. In addition, the two tours we went on started and ended walking distance from the hotel. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and mini-markets close to the hotel as well. If you don’t want to drive or uber, Miraflores is a very good place to stay.
Make sure that you book the hotel online and in advance as in person nightly rates were three time as expensive. Also, you can buy snacks, water and beer from the mini-market 200 meters from the hotel.
Restaurants
With numerous restaurants, Lima is sure to please any palate. Apart from the local food tasting tour, we visited two excellent restaurants – Huaca Pucllana Restaurant and Mangos.
Restaurant Huaca Pucllana
Restaurant Huaca Pucllana is one of the best restaurants we have been to. The decore, the vibe, the service and the food were all excellent. In addition, the food was pure delicacy. Our friend, who’s been living in Lima for 17 years, invited us to this restaurant and ordered the best of the best they have to offer.
Huaca Pucllana is an adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima and the restaurant is situated within the pyramid compound. Sitting in the patio, you literally enjoy the delicious food overlooking the pyramid.
You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Mangos Restaurante
Mangos Restaurante is located in Larcomar overlooking the Pacific ocean. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating and we’d recommend the patio on a beautiful sunny day. Ask for a table next to the balcony and enjoy the beautiful views of the shore.
Make sure you try the Ceviche, Salmon Tartare and Chaufa.
Activities
Tour: Walking Food Tour
The half day walking tour in Miraflores was the perfect way to start our day. The tour starts with some fresh coffee and ends with churros with everything in between. While the tour does last half a day, majority of the time is spent enjoying delicious delicacies and not walking. Even when we were talking, it was at a pace that allowed us to enjoy the streets, sights and neighbourhoods.
The tour had a total of ten people and it was an enjoyable experience getting to know each and everyone of them; folks were traveling from Singapore, Brazil, US and from within Peru.
Terrua Cafeteria
The tour starts off with some Peruvian coffee tasting at Terrua Cafeteria; if you are into coffee, you wouldn’t necessarily enjoy the talk about using a Chemex; however, the coffee did taste really good!
La Preferida
We then walk over to La Preferida where we are treated to Butifarra. La Preferida is a classic Peruvian spot that serves national seafood dishes and the best Butifarra. It’s a pork (curated ham) sandwich with salsa criolla (onion, lime and chilli) served in pan francés, a round baguette.
LOMO 19
You’ll eventually end up in a restaurant LOMO 19 where you’ll enjoy some picso sour, ceviche and local fruits. Spend this time talking to other travellers and enjoying the fruits.
Say good bye to your fellow travellers and enjoy the 10 minute walk back to the hotel.
Tour: City Cycling Tour
The bike tour in Miraflores is a great option to explore two great of neighbourhoods in Lima – Miraflores and Barranco. The terrain is fairly flat and the four hour tour stops at multiple locations along the way, giving you enough time to take a break, take photos, and to enjoy the sights.
The bike tour, like the walking tour, starts with a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The bikes are new, fully adjustable and have enough gears to make the ride as comfortable as possible.
You start off with a 10 minute bike ride on Av. José Larco – this part of the ride is with traffic and most congested. The pace is slow but ensure that you either stay with the pack or yell out if you are left behind or encounter a red traffic light.
Kennedy Park
Named after JFK, this part hosts street vendors, local artists and over 300 cats. The cats are very friendly and, apparently, you can adopt cats as well.
Grau Miraflores Park
Grau Miraflores is a clifftop park with palms, ocean views & a monument to Peruvian naval hero Miguel Grau Seminario.
Larcomar
Larcomar is a shopping center in the Miraflores district of Lima. It is home to multiple shops and restaurants.
Ride for 15 minutes to reach Barranco
Bridge of Sighs
It is said that your wish will come true if you cross the bridge in one breath while making a wish. Note, this only holds true for the first time you ever cross the bridge – so make it count! You’ll be spending some quality time walking around the bridge as well.
Heladería Speciale
Its a cafe which serves good coffee and ice cream and has a cozy terrace.
Ride 20 minutes back to the starting point in Miraflores. Say good bye to your fellow travellers and enjoy the 10 minute walk back to the hotel.
Tips & Mistakes to avoid
Yay or Nay
The walking and the bike tour not only allowed us to explore the city at an enjoyable pace but also enabled us to experience places that we wouldn’t have otherwise. The hotel was top notch and at a central location. The month of October was perfect for us because of the fewer crowds and the weather. In addition, we think that 2 days in Lima were good enough to combine with Machu Picchu.
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