7 Reasons to Love Lima, Peru

Ask anyone about Lima, and one of the first responses you’ll get will be about the food. The gastronomical capital of Peru isn’t a title given, but earned. All the foodies and food traditions of the country descend upon Lima to create the best and most progressive cuisine in the nation.

There are only a handful of truly great cities that can call the ocean their neighbor. Lima has the big city lifestyle with all of the benefits of being close to the beach. After a day of working or tirelessly pursuing tourist sites, you can relax at the beach or throw on your wetsuit to surf.

Nicknamed the City of Kings, Lima had long served the Spanish empire. The city was the Spanish stronghold in Peru and is home to some of the country’s oldest Spanish buildings. The finest example is the historical Plaza de Armas where you’ll find the famous Peruvian balconies and restored colonial mansions.

If you want to see museums in Peru, do it all in Lima. The capital is home to the country’s finest museums and most valued artifacts. Standing above the rest, though, is the Larco Museum, which holds the countries oldest artifacts and even has an erotic pottery section.

Lima is made up of small barrios, each one different from the next. There are working-class barrios, touristic ones and artistic neighborhoods like Barranco that are full of color. To really get an understanding of Lima, you’ll need to explore each unique barrio.

Award-winning restaurants are a common sight in Lima, which is home to some of the continent’s finest dining options. Restaurante Central and Maido have both been crowned the best in South America, with Gastón Acurio’s creation Astrid y Gastón never far behind. Lima has found an audience for fine Peruvian dining, and it is still growing.

Limeños like to party, so it’s no surprise that discotecas are all over the city. Lima has also cultivated a gastropub-bar scene that serves up craft cocktails and beers in renovated colonial mansions. You can rage a dance floor or sip on a specialty drink in a historical building – this city has the best going-out options.