7 Things to Do With Kids in Lima, Peru

Biking along the Malecón isn’t just fun for the kids – everyone in the family will love it. Lima’s boardwalk is one of the most beautiful spots in the city, especially at sunset, when you may well be treated to unobstructed views of the sun going down over the Pacific Ocean. Bikes can be rented from Lacomar, the shopping mall on the boardwalk.

Day or night, the kids will love this place. On a hot day in Lima, this is without a doubt the best place to cool off. Lima isn’t known for its beaches, so this water park is the place to be when the heat gets unbearable. Kids can run around, jumping in and out of all the fountains, and when it gets dark, the light show begins.

If your kids can tolerate some bones, they’ll be riveted by the basement of this church. You can do tours of the tombs underneath the Convento de San Francisco church. The tour will last an hour or so and will explain why there are thousands of bones underneath this beautiful church. Tours are offered in English and French.

Peru has some of the best waves in South America and is a perfect place to learn how to surf. If you’re in Lima and want to learn, head down to Playa Waikki, where they offer lessons all year round. They have boards and even wetsuits to fit you out for Lima’s cold water. It costs around 30 soles (US$9) for a board and 80 soles (US$25) for lessons.

After walking around Miraflores, Lima’s upscale neighborhood, stumbling upon Huaca Pucllana is an experience that is sure to amaze your kids. It is a pre-Inca ruin that has survived the years, and withstood even Lima’s urban development. Tours of the ruins can be arranged, and you can even eat dinner on the site at night.

It’s a chocolate museum; what else could you want? They have every possible flavor of chocolate, some that you’ve probably never tried before, like lúcuma and passion fruit. After you’ve eaten too much chocolate, you can take a tour to see how they make it. The kids will love this part, where they will surely be learning about their favorite food.

Your kids may not be as impressed as you are by Lima’s colonial buildings and beautiful balconies. The finer points of architecture may be lost on them, but after seeing buildings all day, you can walk down La Unión for some entertainment for the kids: there are street performers, musicians, and mimes.