Lima.
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Overview

Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the modern city is a curious mix of the modern mega city with some 'islands of modernity', large but orderly slum areas and colonial architecture in downtown. Lima was the seat of Spanish rule for 300 years, and as such it has wonderful churches, cloisters and monasteries.

Lima is the best place to try Peruvian cuisine, which has a huge variety of ingredients from the coast, mountain and Amazon regions. The cold sea current that passes Peru's long coast makes the sea very rich in fish and seafood.

Districts

The following pages include the province of Callao and the province of Lima and their districts

Understand

Lima is a growing metropolis of about 11 million people. Many of these people have migrated from the highlands to find work in Lima, without success, leading to widespread poverty and unemployment, and sprawling shanty towns on the outskirts of the city.

Lima's pre-Hispanic and colonial architecture is beautiful and the city has several museums (such as the Museo Larco) that tells the story of a country with a long history that produced a large number of coastal and Andean civilizations (such as the Moche, Chavin, and the Incas) and many local cultures. There are several archaeological sites in and around the city (locally known as huaca).

The city is in a valley surrounded by an extremely arid desert, receiving on average no more than 3 cm of rain per year. The city is surprisingly green with many parks and trees, but all of them are artificially watered by the municipality! In the summer months, December to February, the weather is usually sunny and hot, with a UV index that is invariably extreme. Even a layer of factor 50 sun block won't offer protection for long, and it's recommended to stick to shaded areas as much as possible, which is problematic when visiting archaeological sites in the scorching sun. The rest of the year, the weather in Lima is overcast, and temperatures are between 20 - 30 C° during day time, which seems chillier when combined with the general dampness. Air pollution in the streets of Lima can be very bad due to a combination of weather and older poorly-maintained vehicles.

Get in

The airport is well connected with most cities in South America, and with some North American and European cities. Flights arrive daily from Amsterdam Schiphol , Bogotá, Madrid Barajas , Medellín, Miami Airport , Quito, Santiago and Toronto. There are also regular flights from Atlanta Airport , Fort Lauderdale, Houston George Bush Airport , Newark Liberty Airport and London Gatwick .

Lima is the hub for many national domestic flights and is served by LATAM, Jetsmart Perú, Sky Perú, and Star Perú (see below).

The airport has Wi-Fi (WIGO) for a fee.

Airlines and destinations LATAM (formerly LAN & TAM Airlines) - offers many international and domestic routes throughout the region, and to/from North America and Spain. It serves Antofagasta, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Barcelona, Bogotá, Brasília, Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Cajamarca, Calama, Cali, Cancún, Cartagena, Chiclayo, Concepción, Córdoba, Cuzco, Foz do Iguaçu, Guayaquil, Havana, Ilo, Iquitos, Jaén, Jauja, Juliaca, La Paz, Los Angeles, Madrid, Medellín–JMC, Mendoza, Mexico City, Miami, Montego Bay, Montevideo, New York–JFK, Orlando, Piura, Porto Alegre, Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, Punta Cana, Quito, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão, Rosario, Salta, San José (CR), San Miguel de Tucumán, Santa Cruz de la Sierra–Viru Viru, Santiago, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Tacna, Talara, Tarapoto, Trujillo, Tumbes Avianca (formerly Taca Peru) serves Bogota. Europe is served by Air Europa, British Airways, Air France, Iberia, Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines USA is served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines, and LATAM Canada is served by Air Canada Other Latin American airlines include Avianca (Bogota); Copa Airlines and Wingo (Panama City); and Aeroméxico (Mexico City)); Gol (São Paulo–Guarulhos); JetSmart (Antofagasta, Concepción, and Santiago); Sky Airlines/Sky Peru (Cancun, Miami, Santiago); Avior Airlines and Estelar Latinoamerica (Caracas); and Aerolíneas Argentinas (Buenos Aires)

Other domestic carriers include: ATSA (Atalaya, Chachapoyas, Huánuco, Tingo María) Jetsmart Peru (Arequipa, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Cusco, Piura, Tarapoto, Trujillo) Star Peru (Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Huanuco, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Tarapoto) SKY Peru (Arequipa, Cuzco, Iquitos, Juliaca, Jauja, Piura, Pucallpa, Tarapoto, Trujillo, Tumbes)

Arrival Arrival at the airport can be chaotic. Most flights from overseas arrive in clumps either early in the morning or very late at night, which means that getting through immigration and customs can be tremendously time consuming; the time between arrival at the gate and exiting customs can range from 20-90 minutes.

The area immediately outside of customs is typically crowded, full of people waiting for arriving passengers. It's not uncommon for entire families to show up to greet a returning family member and the crowd is further swelled by pre-booked car and taxi service drivers holding up signs with passengers' names; a large area where passengers can stand freely and scan the crowd to look for people and not be accosted has been cordoned off in front of the customs exit.

As soon as you go outside, you will be accosted by numerous aggressive taxi drivers. They are persistent and will keep bothering you as long as you are there. If you are looking for a bus or shuttle, figure out in advance where you need to go, and do not allow the taxi drivers to "help" you find it. If you have booked a rideshare (e.g. Ask for their name and verify it is the actual driver you booked, and check the license plate.

If you are transiting through Lima, the airport has a separate hall for connecting international passengers, who need not pass through Peruvian immigration or customs, but will have to pass through a security checkpoint dedicated to screening connecting passengers before they can enter the secure area of the terminal where the international gates are located. Due to congestion, the airport often does not assign gates to flights until less than two hours before departure.

Taxis Be wary of taxi drivers at the airport: if you need transportation from the airport you should avoid using the informal taxis outside that will accost you.

You can hire a taxi and pay for it at the desks Green Taxi, Taxi365 and others inside the customs reception area at somewhat inflated fees, or book one ahead of time online with a reputable company. A trip to the Centro Historico from Green Taxi is S/55 (soles) (Feb 2018), or S/65 to Miraflores (Feb 2024). These certified companies are safe.

The area around the airport is unsafe in general and taxi drivers can be dangerous. The taxis waiting right outside the terminal but within the grounds are more safe than the ones outside and cheaper than the ones inside. Check out the tips for taking the taxi safely underneath.

25 soles and 25 dollars is a big difference.

Express airport bus There is an hourly express bus between the airport and four stops in Miraflores. The last bus leaves at 10:00 PM.

Car rentals Car rental is available at the airport via Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Sixt, as well as local car rental companies. Car rental booths for all companies (except Sixt, where a representative will meet you at the arrivals hall and will then take you to your vehicle) are located after baggage claim and customs but before the exit to the arrivals hall if arriving on an international flight, or right at the arrivals hall if arriving on a domestic flight.

The AeroDirecto bus stops are on the airport grounds. This is a service of public buses to connect the city with its airport. As of July 2025, there are six routes available. To get closer to Miraflores you can take the "Sur" route bus. The area surrounding the airport is a bit dodgy. The public bus to Miraflores takes 1-3 hours depending on traffic, while a taxi or Airport Express Lima should take under an hour.

Most companies have their terminals lined up along Paseo de la Republica (north & south) in La Victoria, not Lima's nicest district. However. Other stations are in the outskirts of La Victoria (Av. Javier Prado and along Paseo de la Republica), which is better. There you find some of the more reputable companies like Cruz del Sur, Tepsa, Ormeño, Linea, ITTSA, Movil Tours, Flores and Civa. Some of the same companies have multiple terminals in La Victoria, service to Gran Terminal Terrestre Plaza Norte in Túpac Amaru in the northern part of town; and in/around Acotongo in the southern part of town.

If you are staying in the North Lima area or close to the airport, there is a modern bus terminal: Gran Terminal Terrestre Plaza Norte, which is very convenient. It should take you around 50 minutes to get there by AeroDirecto (which is the only public bus transportation that connects the airport with the city through six different routes). Take the "Terminal Norte" route to arrive in Gran Terminal Terrestre Plaza Norte.

Regular buses run up and down the roads Panamericana Sur/Norte (the local name for the Panamerican Highway), Carretera Central, Interoceánica Sur, Interoceánica Norte, amongst others:

South: Pisco, Ica, Nazca, Arequipa, Tacna, Cuzco, Puerto Maldonado, Juliaca, Puno, Moquegua, Ilo. North: Huaraz, Chimbote, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, Cajamarca & Tumbes. East: Huancayo, Cerro de Pasco, Huánuco and Pucallpa.

Companies and terminals Some of the major bus companies and their terminal locations:

Airport Express Lima. Official bus service connecting Lima Airport with the Miraflores district. They have 7 stops in Miraflores.

Caracol SA. Booking agent for Veloz de Norte (Argentina); Transportes de Tas Choapa y Tur Bus (Chile); Expreso Bolivariano (Colombia); Rutas de América (Ecuador y Venezuela) and La Preferida (Bolivia)

Civa. They also have the Exclusiva brand. To request information use the following link:

Cromotex. Travels between Lima, Arequipa, Tacna, Cusco and Trujillo. They also have another Lima terminal at Av. Nicolás de Arriola nro. 898 urb. Santa Catalina, La Victoria.

Cruz del Sur. Serves Arequipa, Ica, Cuzco, Puno, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Pisco, Arequipa, Tacna, Cuzco, La Paz, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Cali, Nazca, Guayaquil, Quito, Bogotá and Máncora.

Excluciva. They also have the Civa brand. To request information use the following link:

ITTSA. Goes from Lima only to Chimbote, Chiclayo, Piura, Sullana, Paita, Talara, Mancora and Trujillo in the northern regions of the country.

Linea. Goes from Lima to Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Chimbote, Huaraz, Trujillo in the north only.

Movil Tours. They also have another station nearby at Javier Prado Este 1093, La Victoria in front of the Clinica Ricardo Palma & next to a Kia car dealership.

Peru Hop. Serves Arequipa, Ica, Cuzco, Puno, La Paz, Nazca, Huacachina, Paracas, Copacabana.

By train The Peruvian rail network has been neglected for a long time and it is now used for freight and as a tourist attraction first and foremost. ferrocarril central runs the occasional passenger train from Huancayo.

Get around

Lima's public transport network consists of a single metro line, modern buses, coasters and combis (which are called "micros" by the locals). The system can be confusing for foreign tourists.

Metro The Lima Metro. is a newish subway system that is being developed. As of 2022, only Line 1 exists; it serves 33 stations through 11 districts. It is an elevated line, which runs in the general north-south direction in the eastern part of the Lima metropolitan areas (2-3 km east of Lima's historical center and Miraflores), and, as such, does not serve many locations where tourists are likely to stay of visit.

Line 2, to run in the east-west direction toward Callao, is under construction, and is expected to open in 2024; once it's opened, the attractiveness of the metro system for the visitors is likely to significantly increase.

Bus rapid transit (Metropolitano) The Metropolitano. is a modern rapid transport bus system, operated with fully wheelchair-accessible articulated ("bendy") buses. The stations are spaced at 1 km or so, and the buses mostly travel on their own dedicated lanes on expressways, which means that traveling on this system is indeed much faster than on regular buses.

It operates similarly to a subway system: you enter a station through a card-operated turnstile, travel as you wish within the system, and exit your destination system via a turnstile as well.

There is basically one route, running from the northern suburbs to Lima's city center to the southern suburbs of San Isidro and Miraflores, although it splits in two for a short stretch in the city center. There are different "services", however, which differ primarily at which stations they stop (express vs. limited stops vs. local), and at which branch they take around the downtown.

If you only need to ride the system once or twice during your trip, and don't want to buy a card, you can try to offer S/2.50 to some passenger who's not to busy (e.g. walking out of the system) so that he or she puts the money on his or her card and then lets you into the station with his/her card. You don't need a card to leave the system.

Additionally, the Metropolitano operates several "feeder rutes" (rutas alimentadoras) that run on local streets in the vicinity of the northern and southern terminals of the main line, bringing passengers to those terminals. Those routes are numbered started with AN- and AS-, respectively.

The public transport authority (Autoridad de Transporte Urbano) has a smartphone app on its web site with information about both the BRT routes and other municipal buses (see below).

Municipal buses Besides the BRT, the city also operates large modern buses along at least a couple of "trunk routes" (ruta troncal) or "corridors" (corredores). Known as Corredores Complementarios, they form part of an integrated transport system with the BRT. There are at 4 corridores, including: Blue (corredor azul): along avenues Tacna, Garcilaso, and Arequipa. Particularly useful for traveling between downtown Lima and San Isidro and Miraflores); routes 301 ... 306. Red (corredor rojo): along Javier Prado - La Marina - red). (routes 201 ... 257) Purple (corredor morado) (routes 404 ... 412) Yellow (corredor amarillo) (route 107)

The municipal buses have clearly labeled stops (paraderos), with signs and benches, at least along the main corridors. The bus route number are usually made out of three digits (e.g. 301). However, is a passenger does not have a card, the driver will take your cash and will scan his card as well.

There is more information on these buses in the Spanish Wikipedia page Corredores complementarios.

Private buses Unfortunately, municipal buses run far from everywhere; they don't go anywhere near the airport. Thus, most of Lima is still served primarily by small private buses, provided by a variety of companies, whose numbers usually consist of one or two letters and some digits. For example, to go from the airport to Magdalena, Miraflores or Surco, you can take the big blue bus called "Las Flores 18" (IM-18).

On the side of every bus or van you will see the names of the major avenues it travels along. While Google Maps will show you where bus stops are, this is merely a suggestion; stops are not physically marked, and a bus, in general, can stop anywhere the driver feels reasonable, based on the desires of the passengers inside and the apparent existence of potential passengers outside.

Conductors generally lean out the door of the bus (which typically never closes) yelling the destinations. If this doesn't make sense, ask the conductor. Also here be aware of pickpockets.

While no "official" system map for the private buses seems to exist, a reasonably good directory of them is maintained at the Wikiroutes site. There is also a smartphone app, Tu Ruta.

Be very discerning about which taxi you choose and avoid hailing random cabs off the street as much as possible.

Caution is advised when using taxis in Lima. In Lima the shared taxis are prohibited, but there are some taxis colectivos pirata, and it might not hurt to look if there's someone hiding on the back seat or the trunk before entering.

First-time travellers to Peru need nerves of steel with regard to the traffic. Lima harbours the most lunatic drivers in the world and taxi drivers are among the worst.

Maintenance of any mechanical object in Peru, (including taxis) is only performed once it has already ceased to function. Many cars are in very poor, even unsafe, condition. It's very common to see cars and taxis with missing windows or body parts.

If you don't know a trusted taxi, it's wise to use the public transport.

Tips for taking the taxi safely: Do not show any valuables (including jewelry) and try to look a bit shabby. Speaking Spanish with confidence to your driver helps. Know where you are going, know the route or at least pretend you know. Always look like you are paying attention but stay calm. If they start talking to you, mention that people are waiting for you, that you know local people and this is not your first time in Lima. Keep an eye on whether the driver is communicating with you. When in doubt, do not get in! There are literally a hundred others waiting for you. You can also ask him to take a different route that you choose. Remember the address or write it down. The taxi driver might take you to a location different from your destination where others are waiting and/or threaten you with a gun or knife. By the time you get to your hotel or hostel you will not have your passport, money, backpack or anything else for that matter. Even though most of the taxis in the center of the city are quite safe, be extra careful around the airport, in bad neighbourhoods and especially the bus stations.

Rideshare Both Cabify and Uber are available in Lima, although you may have to wait a few minutes at rush hour, or if your trip is too short. Rideshare is not allowed to the airport, however.

By bike Bicycling is fairly popular in the Greater Lima. While the authorities of the region and those of some districts encourage bicycling, e.g. by creating bike lanes (cyclovia) on some streets, this activity remains somewhat dangerous due to the chaotic nature of the traffic throughout most of the metro area. Some of the routes, such as the one along the ocean shore, are quite pleasant though.

The service with a rather misleading name, City Bike Lima exists for renting bicycles from the bike parking stations. Unfortunately, it should be more properly named "City Bike Miraflores": as of early 2022 it only covers the single district of Miraflores. Plans exists for extending the service to the neighboring San Isidro.

Bike shops are fairly numerous, and are spread throughout the metro area. The greatest concentration of them appears to exist a few blocks east of downtown, in Jiron Luna Pizarro between Avenida Miguel Grau and Jiron Antonio Raimondi, and adjacent blocks. (For the map location, see, e.g., ). So this may be not a bad area to shop for spare parts, etc. This area is very busy though, as it also has a lot of bus stations; so watch out for pickpockets and other annoyances.

Unless you have experience driving in extremely challenging environments it is normally not recommended to drive around Lima. Traffic jams are common everywhere, the street network is sprawling and confusingly laid out, road quality in many parts of the city is poor, and Peruvians' reputation for being some of the world's worst drivers can precede them, even in the capital. However, having a car does give the flexibility to effectively go around the city's confusing public transit system, as well as access to harder-to-reach sites like Pachacamac and points further from the city.

Some parts of Lima are easier to drive around than others. Navigating around central Lima with its colonial-era narrow streets, heavy pedestrian traffic (including several pedestrianized streets around the Centro Histórico and the many street vendors in the Barrio Chino) and lack of parking can be stressful, whereas driving around newer areas of the city like Miraflores, Barranco, San Borja or Santiago de Surco with their wider streets and segregated pedestrian traffic can be somewhat easier on the nerves. Conditions can change rapidly depending on where you are driving to and which part of Lima you find yourself in. Generally, if you are staying in an area with easy access to public transit and are going somewhere that is similarly accessible, it is advisable to ditch the car and take public transit instead.

Lima is the center of Peru's highway network, with key routes like the Panamericana (Norte and Sur) converging here. Other important routes include the Costa Verde which runs along the coast, Avenida Paseo de la República (nicknamed El Zanjón, or the Big Ditch) on which the Metropolitano runs, and the Anillo Periférico which runs around the city. Most highways are tolled along several stretches, and while tolls may be paid with credit cards they mostly don't work with foreign cards, so make sure to have cash handy. GPS navigation is generally accurate and can be very useful for navigating around Lima.

Paid parking is available but expensive, usually around S/5-7 an hour, but many establishments (including tourist hotspots like the Museo Larco and Pachacamac) have free parking for guests, especially outside the city center. Designated street parking is common and usually free (exceptions include the area around the entrance to the Fortaleza del Real Felipe in Callao, where street parking is S/5 but is good for the whole day), but it is generally recommended to park in an enclosed parking garage to avoid any possible damage to your car. Despite the availability of street parking Lima drivers are notorious for parking on the street in no-parking zones, which are marked with yellow curbs and no parking signs. Even if there are cars parked on the street illegally and you see locals parking there, don't do it. Parking enforcement may be uneven, but it does happen and you risk your car being towed.

Exercise caution when driving around Lima late at night, as drivers are much more likely to violate traffic rules, including running red lights.

See

The historic downtown, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Circuito Mágico del Agua (Magic Water Tour), a fountain and light display in the Parque de la Reserva and Parque Fermín Tangüis. The Parque del Amor (Lovers' Park) in Miraflores. The Costa Verde, Lima's impressive green coast stretches between San Miguel and Chorrillos. The tourist-friendly districts of Barranco, Miraflores and Santiago de Surco. The historical sites of Pueblo Libre, including the Cruz del Viajero, a monumental Christian cross dating from the era of the Conquistadores. Lima's best shopping malls: Plaza Norte, Jockey Plaza, Larcomar, Mall Aventura Plaza, Real Plaza Salaverry. Historical churches: Lima´s Cathedral, Santo Domingo (San Martín de Porres), Santa Rosa (Santa Rosa de Lima), Nazarenas (Señor de los Milagros), San Francisco. Museums: Museo nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia (Pueblo Libre), Museo de Arte (Paseo Colón), Museo Pedro de Osma (Barranco), Museo Rafael Larco (Pueblo Libre). Parque Kennedy in the center of Miraflores. This park is right in the entertainment district and is famous for the large number of cats that used to live there. Huaca Pucllana : Pre-Inca temple of the Lima culture (around 500 AD). This archaeological site is located in the Miraflores district, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. Open every day except Tuesday and Sunday, from 09:00 to 15:30. Guided tour required. 15 soles / person.

Do

Bike Tours of Lima. A variety of 'public' and private bicycle, walking and food tours of Lima by English-speaking guides. Prior booking is required. It is the number 1 activity in Lima on Tripadvisor.

The Lima Gourmet Company. A combined city and culinary tour of Lima. Travellers will visit a local market, have a hands-on cooking class and try different Peruvian dishes while they tour the city's main districts and historical points of interest. Great if you don't have much time in Lima.

Exquisito Perú. Explore Peruvian gastronomy through fun and interactive walking food tours in different parts of the city. Also available in Arequipa and Cusco.

Folkloric dance shows. Live shows of local dance with dinner or lunch included. Choose between Almuerzo (lunchtime) Shows, Noches de Folclore (folklore evenings) and periodic special shows.

Mirabus bus and road train tours. Various themed day and night bus tours of Lima and the surrounding region, including excursions to Caral and Pachacamac. They also operate a road train around the main sights of Centro.

Surfing the waves of the Pacific Ocean in Miraflores Beach Paragliding over the reefs of Miraflores Beach Visit Pachacamac in Lurin (1/2 hour from Miraflores), a sacred pre-Inca citadel. Go to Mamacona (Lurin, behind Pachacamac) and live the emotion of a live show with Caballo Peruano de paso and the beautiful dance Marinera. Tickets in Mirabus, central park of Miraflores. Visit Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores, a pre-Inca ruins.

Buy

Exchange It is very hard to change money other than euros and U.S. dollars in Lima. You can't even change the currency from neighbouring countries (besides Chile) in normal money exchanges and banks.

Changing money in Miraflores can be done safely with cambistas on the street, but you must follow a few simple rules to avoid being cheated. First, make sure that the cambista is wearing the vest-uniform indicating that he or she is an authorized, licensed cambista. It is worth it to compare with several cambistas, especially if you are changing a significant amount of money. Some scammers do tricks with their calculators in your face and you won't notice, so the best way to know how much you should be getting is to bring a calculator yourself or use the one in your cellphone. Finally, make sure that the bills the cambista gives you have his or her seal ("sello") stamped on them - that way, if by chance one of them turns out to be counterfeit you can come back and complain. It is rare to get counterfeit notes from a cambista, but asking for the seal helps maintain the incentive for honesty and acts as insurance for you.

Withdraw As anywhere, your best bet is usually to draw soles from an ATM. There are banks dotted all over Lima and some of them have guarded ATMs. Chances are the bank will charge you a fortune every time you withdraw money so it is better value to get as much as possible when making a withdrawal. BCP cajeros generally allow withdrawals up to S/700.

Always be cautious when using an ATM, as you may be followed and targeted for a robbery.

If you are interested in purchasing Peruvian folk musical instruments, there are stores selling charangos, quenas, antaras, etc., on Ca. Cantuarias. If you have the time, a number of these stores can help you find a teacher to learn how to play your purchase.

Handicrafts Your best bet is to head for Av. Petit Thouars in Miraflores, which is full of handicrafts stores. Or, go to Av. La Marina in Pueblo Libre.

Supermarkets The main supermarkets are Wong, Metro, Plaza Vea, Vivanda and Tottus. These can be found all over.

Eat

Gastronomy has been, since the days of the Spanish vice royalty, an essential aspect of life in Lima. During the last few years, the city's dining reputation has experienced a huge leap in the eyes of the world, due in part to the International Summit of Gastronomy (Madrid Fusión) in 2006, which declared Lima to be the "Gastronomy Capital of the Americas". The offerings in Lima are nowadays more varied and cover a wide range of types and cuisines, both regional and international.

Despite the wide range of choice in Lima's many restaurants, ceviche is surely number one on the list of dishes you must get to know, not only because it happens to be the Peruvian national dish, but because of its unparalleled delicious taste. With the increasing interest in the Peruvian cuisine, ceviche is quickly making its way onto tables all over the world. But if you want to enjoy the real thing, don't miss it during your stay here in ceviche's mecca. There is at least one cevichería in every neighbourhood. Moreover, most criollo restaurants include ceviche on their menus; indeed the dish is so popular that it is even offered at many of the more upscale nouvelle-cuisine restaurants.

In some places, Peruvian food tend to be spicy and heavy. Try it and ask if any dish is picante (spicy), which usually means it is going to be very spicy! A full meal may be really heavy even if it's perfectly nice and well-prepared with fresh ingredients.

A second must goes to Chinese and Japanese cuisines, which predictably, have a strong Peruvian influence. Japanese restaurants, on the contrary, are less widespread, and more upscale and expensive. Their forte is, of course, a year-round supply of the freshest and most varied seafood.

Travellers longing for a delicious falafel or shwarma sandwich will be pleased to learn there is an excellent café in Parque Kennedy that serves these types of Middle Eastern foods at reasonable prices.

There is a heavy presence of fast-food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Subway, Papa John's and local chain Bembos all over the city. Places such as Burger King, Chili's and TGI Friday's are scarce, but can be found around Miraflores. Also, you shouldn't miss Peruvian-style hamburgers at Bembos, and traditional Peruvian sandwiches in if you want to give your everyday fast-food a local twist.

Drink

Pisco Sour is the national drink of Peru, made with Pisco, a brandy made of grapes. It is highly recommended that all visitors to Peru try this drink at least once. Visitors might be amused to learn that Chileans claim Pisco Sour is their own, but it isn't true. There are some variations that are offered in several bars around town. Just be careful; the fresh and sweet flavour makes it very easy to drink too much, and you can so easily get drunk on it. Inca Kola is the most popular soft drink in Peru, one of few sodas that Coca Cola couldn't defeat (until they bought the company). It's a yellow-fruit flavored drink that tastes like hierba luisa. Jugos You can find great fresh fruit drinks all over Lima. Starting from S/0.50 for a fresh orange juice at the market to some more expensive ones. Surtidos, containing several different fruits, are quite tasty. Chicha Morada A refreshing, purple, non-alcoholic drink high in antioxidants. It's made by boiling purple corn with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and sugar. Emoliente is a hot drink prepared with barley, herbs, sugar and lemon juice. It's often sold by street vendors at night for around S/1. It's especially great in winter. Starbucks Coffee is predictably widespread if you really need your daily caffeine fix.

Sleep

Surco, Miraflores, San Borja and San Isidro are some of the nicest and safest areas in the city. Although they sometimes come a bit pricier than the old city center and other parts, some budget accommodation options do exist.

Keep in mind that the old city may not be safe for tourists at night.