Here are some ideas for things to do. Let me know if one piques your interest, and I’ll give you more concrete tips. NOTE: Lima is basically all about eating as you’ll see…
- Get famous Peruvian sandwiches (pavo con criollo) and fries (papas) from a local chain called La Lucha and eat them in Bosque Olivar, which is a really beautiful old park in San Isidro. You can then get coffee/tea and Peruvian cookies (alfajores) at my favorite bakery next door to the park called Casa Alfajores.
- Go to Madame Tusan for modern Peruvian-Chinese fusion, known as chifa. There are tons of regular chifas, but they’re very similar to the U.S. version of Chinese food.
- There are also Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurants called Nikkei. Our favorite is Ache. Maido is also very good.
- Try traditional Peruvian dishes. Those are ceviche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina, causa limena, arroz con pollo, ocopa. There’s also the famous pisco sour and lesser known maracuya sour. As for fruits, lucuma is Peruvian staple and we really enjoy desserts with chirimoya.
- The Plaza de Armas is the heart of the historic downtown. It’s worth a short stop and perhaps a meal. I’d suggest going around sunset.
- The best sight we’ve seen downtown is the San Francisco monastery because it has catacombs with a ton of bones.
- The main art museum is downtown and called MALI. I’m not sure what’s showing now, but I’d say you can skip it. The contemporary art museum (MAC) in Barranco is more interesting.
- Night tour of South America’s second oldest cemetery.
- Dinner overlooking Lima’s old ruins at Huaca Pucllana. This is the best food the Significant Other and I have had in Lima!
- Dinner at Astrid y Gaston. You need to make a reservation. It’s one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.
- Make sure to order ceviche (Peru’s national dish) and a pisco sour (Peru’s national drink) at Punto Azul
- Cultural event like dance or opera or a musical (in English or Italian)
- Futbol game (our team isn’t great, but it’s fun to watch!)
- Going to Parque Kennedy, the main square, and eating picarones (a very Peruvian dessert), and getting juice (it’s a BIG thing here, going for juice!)
- Lima’s Magic Water Show (google it) is gorgeous, especially during the hot summer months
- Walking along the Malecon, Lima’s version of a boardwalk overlooking the ocean, and getting lunch at a bungalow (beware: don’t go during rush hour)
- Day trips to go see the Peruvian pyramids, sand boarding or the Nasca lines
