Lima attractions

With its Baroque pepper-pot belfry and an expansive convent, the Church of Santo Domingo is one of Lima’s most historic religious sites. Built in 1599, the impressive pink structure features a sumptuous neoclassical interior bathed in gold and turquoise, and an altar dedicated to Americas’ first black saint, San Martin de Porres.

A rocky collection of small islets off the coast of Callao, Palomino Island is a premier destination for wildlife watching that’s within easy reach of Lima. While the islands are inhabited by birds, including guanayes, boobies, pelicans, red-legged cormorants, and Humboldt penguins, they’re most famous for the huge colony of sea lions that inhabits them, which is one of the biggest in Peru.

The pre-Inca complex of Pachacámac is the closest archaeological site to Lima. For more than 1,500 years, different civilizations built temples, adobe wall frescoes, and other impressive structures here. Considered the most important religious center of indigenous people along the Peruvian coast, it drew pilgrims from the farthest corners of Peru.

With its dramatic cliff-side location above the Pacific Ocean, the upscale Larcomar Shopping Center is Lima’s most scenic shopping destination as well as one of the city’s most modern and fashionable malls. Larcomar offers more than 160 shops and restaurants to satisfy the most discerning shopper.

The Lima Art Museum (Museo de Arte de Lima - MALI) features works from more than 3,000 years of Peruvian history, spanning from pre-Columbian societies through today—including art from the Moche, Chimu, Nazca, Inca, and pre-Columbian cultures. Paintings, ceramics, textiles, silverwork, and more are on display, with 17,000 pieces in the collection.

Cat lovers are in cat heaven at Kennedy Park in Miraflores. Home to litter-ally dozens of cats, this lovely landscaped green space is a surreal experience, especially for unwitting passersby who suddenly encounter cuddly cats receiving cuddles from strangers. Aside from the friendly felines, Kennedy Park also attracts musicians playing instruments and artisans selling their handiwork.

Located in the bohemian Barranco district of Lima, the Bridge of Sighs (El Puente de los Suspiros) is a landmark for the area. The beautiful wooden bridge was built to cross the Bajada de los Baños, which leads to the Pacific. Locals and visitors alike love to take in the views of the nearby seafront from the bridge.

The oldest city yet unearthed in the Americas, the Sacred City of Caral-Supe is among Peru’s most impressive archeological sites. This magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site covers 148 acres (60 hectares) in the arid Supe Valley and was first inhabited between 2600 and 2000 BC. Today, the site is a popular day trip from Lima.

Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge is a magical wetlands on the outskirts of Lima’s Chorrillos suburb. Hike a network of winding trails to spot hundreds of species of migratory birds and several different species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles living amongst the verdant reeds.

South of its more famous neighbors, Miraflores and Barranco, the Chorrillos district is a charming off-the-beaten path adventure. The small fishing village, once a beach resort to Lima’s wealthiest denizens, boasts lovely beaches and green parks, an astronomical observatory and planetarium, wetlands that house hundreds of species of birds, and an embankment with a stunning view of Lima bay.

San Isidro visitors may overlook its cultural attractions, opting instead for its beaches and shopping districts. But, the enclave’s tree-lined residential streets are home to stately mansions being converted to luxury hotels, high-end boutiques, art museums, embassies representing 40 countries, and the city’s best restaurants.

Standing strong in Lima’s Plaza de Armas (aka Plaza Mayor), where Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro established the city in 1535, the opulent Municipal Palace (Palacio Municipal de Lima) has been fantastically rebuilt and restored many times over. Today the neo-colonial administrative center has an elaborate French Renaissance interior.

Within its historic center, a bright red archway gifted from the people of Taiwan signals the entrance to Lima’s vibrant Chinatown (Barrio Chino). Explore this vibrant neighborhood to see classic Chinese architecture and Buddhist temples, shop for medicinal herbs, and feast at the Chinese restaurants known locally as chifas.

Up the coast from Lima, the colonial seafront town of Callao is the capital’s principal cruise port, receiving thousands of annual visitors. With easy transport links to the center of Lima, most cruise travelers head straight into Lima, though Callao has worthwhile attractions and is a jumping off point to nearby islands.

ChocoMuseo Miraflores invites chocolate lovers to tour a factory to learn about the history and process of making chocolate and watch master chocolatiers handcraft chocolate delights. For a more immersive experience, sign up for a fun, informative workshop to learn how to transform cacao beans into your very own chocolate bars and truffles.

The pre-Columbian adobe Huaca Huallamarca pyramid is a startling sight, rising among the modern high-rises of Lima’s San Isidro district. Also known as Pan de Azucar (Sugar Loaf) after the rounded farmlands that once covered the ruins, the pyramid served as a burial temple for the Lima Culture, who lived here circa 200–500.

Between bohemian Barranco, glitzy Miraflores, and the fishing village of Chorrillos, the Surco district is a part of Lima that is well off the tourist trail, though rife with captivating attractions. Surco has manicured gardens and a grand central square guarded by the baroque Iglesia Santo Apostol, and Museo Oro del Peru, which features a vast collection of gold objects.

Admire one of Lima’s—and Peru’s—most beautiful architectural buildings, the San Pedro Church (Iglesia de San Pedro). This 17th-century edifice was built during Peru’s colonial period and has been administered by the Jesuits since 1638. The ornate church features Moorish-style carvings, baroque altars, and glazed tiles.

Housed in the Palacio de Osma, an ornate mansion with intricate wood floor inlays, hand-painted frescos, and stained glass windows, the Pedro de Osma Museum features Peruvian artworks from the 5th to 18th century. Along with one of the best painting collections in Peru, the museum has sculptures, engravings, and historical books.

Holding sentinel alongside the Lima Cathedral along Plaza de Armas, the Archbishop’s Palace is a shining example of 1920’s neo-colonial architecture. Carved cedar balconies hang above the doors of the spectacularly intricate façade, while inside, light filters through a stained-glass ceiling onto sweeping marble staircases. It’s certainly a regal home for the city’s Archbishop and the country’s Cardinal.

Lima is rife with fascinating museums, covering all manner of specialization, from history and archeology to art and anthropology. The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History, in the Pueblo Libre district is a cultural space covering all bases. Housed in an old colonial mansion, the cultural space is the oldest state-run museum and features the country’s largest collection, with over 100,000 artifacts.

Set in an early-20th-century mansion in the middle of Lima’s Barranco district, Dédalo Arte y Artesanía offers a wide range of high-end, eclectic items from local designers and artisans. Individual stores showcase the city’s talent, with unique jewelry, contemporary Peruvian art, colorful blown glass, and much more.

Located in Lima’s historic center, Sanctuary of Las Nazarenas is best known for housing a famous venerated Cristo Moreno oil painting. Created by a freed Angolan slave, the artwork survived a 1655 earthquake that leveled churches and homes, killing thousands. Its resilience and perceived power to heal is legendary.

The Inca prized gold, silver, and gilt copper, but never used them as currency. They were worked into symbolic and decorative totems symbolizing Inca culture and ceremonial worship. This privately-owned museum displays over 20,000 pre-Columbian artifacts including historic weapons like the gleaming sword of Francisco Pizarro.

With 19 acres (8 hectare ) of neo-classical gardens dotted with pagodas and sculptures, Parque de la Reserva is a welcome pocket of greenery, located in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. The parks’ star attraction is the Magic Water Circuit (Circuito Mágico del Agua), in which 13 interactive fountains are choreographed to classical and Peruvian music and lasers.

Jockey Plaza is one of Lima’s biggest, newest, and most popular shopping malls. The bi-level American-style outdoor shopping complex in the Surco neighborhood offers over 400 small boutiques hawking well-known international brands, and popular South American department stores.

Whether you want to admire traditional Peruvian handicrafts or enjoy some last-minute souvenir shopping, the Indian Market (Mercado Indio) is one of the best places to shop in Lima. Located at the heart of the Miraflores District, the market has dozens of stalls selling quality handmade arts and crafts.

Curious rock formations decorate the Marcahuasi plateau in the section of the Andes Mountains that passes through central Peru. These abstract formations comprise the plateau’s “stone forest,” while small lagoons and panoramic viewpoints fill out Marcahuasi’s scenery. Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape the crowds around Cusco’s mountains should turn their attention this way.

In the heart of Lima's La Victoria neighborhood, Gamarra Market is a massive shopping area specializing in clothes for men and women. It's considered one of the cheaper areas to shop, and is a great place to pick up a new outfit without having to splash much cash.

The Lima Cruise Port (Cruise Portao) is situated in Callao, around 8 miles (13 kilometers) from central Lima. A major shipping terminal welcoming freight vessels from across the world, as well as cruise ships, the terminal is the jumping-off place for passengers who want to spend their time in port exploring the Peruvian capital.