- Mohaimanul Islam Neon
Do you plan to visit the South American nation of Peru? Then you must begin your tour by visiting its capital beautiful capital Lima. There are loads of places to go and things to do in this large Latin city that you might not want to miss out on.
To begin the tour you can begin walking along the Bajada de Baños which is a cobbled walkway leading to Barranco’s beaches. The pathway is covered with trees which will give you a feel of nature along with a taste of the past through the various historic architectures.
From there you can stroll towards the Bridge of Sighs locally called the Puente de Los Suspiros. It is a simple wooden bridge, a walk or bicycle ride across which with your special one is worth it. Especially because there is a forbidden love tale circulating the bridge between a rich girl and a street sweeper. According to legend, anybody who sees the bridge for the first time is granted one wish if they can cross its 30-meter span without exhaling once.
Next, you can head to El Malecon which is a continuous stretch of paths and flower beds. It is in the Miraflores district which is characterized by coastal cliffs. This six-mile pathway will give you a break from the city noise and pollution. There are many gardens and parks in this district and that is why Lima is often called The Garden City. On this high cliff coastal path, you can walk and watch the great Pacific ocean. Your journey can be either on foot or by bike but it will never be boring. Famous artwork in the form of statues will be there to greet you all along.
Do keep an eye out for the sculptures “Amarre” by Lima artist Sonia Prager and “Intihuatana” by Fernando de Szyzslo as you approach the Villena Rey Bridge. If you feel exhausted already then you can easily have a snack and a good cup of coffee from the several coffee shops in the area. Enjoy the most spectacular paragliding from here if you love that sort of adventure.
It’s time to visit the Plaza Mayor also called Plaza de Armas which is in the city center and is filled with historical buildings and colonial architecture.
Be ready to be enthralled by the grand Lima Cathedral decorated with an amazing renaissance texture on the outside. Inside there is the St. John the Baptist Chapel, there is a thin Christ figure and a choir with exquisite carvings along with the starry ceiling. Travelers are generally history lovers and thus you would love to see the remains of the renowned Francisco Pizarro, the one who founded Lima.
A few blocks away from the main plaza is the St. Fransisco Monastery. A book lover would love to visit the ancient library which is still open to the public even to this day. Have a look at the vast catacombs with bones and skulls to add to the air of mystery.
Surely by now, you must be hungry, so why not try some of the best cuisines of Lima? You can try the Peruvian Ceviche. It is a dish comprised of raw fish that has been salted and marinated in lemon juice. This is served with sweet potato, corn, fresh onion pieces, and the renowned Tiger Milk.
There are some exotic potato dishes such as Papa a la Huancaína, a potato dish dipped in a sauce made of cheese, milk and rocoto or the ocopa a la arequipeña. After lunch, you can have a glimpse at The Government Palace is also a couple of blocks down the street.
You are in Peru’s capital and that is why you will get hills around you. The most recognizable hill in Lima is called San Cristobal, and thanks to its elevation of more than 400 meters, it offers an ideal natural view of the city’s Old Town. The hill sits a little outside of the historic district, northeast of Lima’s Plaza de Armas and across the Rimac river. Therefore, the only advice we can give is to not go there by yourself.
For several years running, Lima has been regarded as the culinary epicenter of South America. So besides visiting the sites do not forget to keep your tastebuds on the role.
Lima has some of the world The top 10 restaurants which include:
Astrid & Gastón is a traditional Peruvian restaurant with the best of creole cuisine.
Maido is a restaurant of food fusion between Japanese and Peruvian cuisine, and
Central, is a Novo-Andean restaurant that combines native ingredients with techniques of international cuisines.
Now that you know which restaurants to try out for sure do not forget to take a peek at the National Museum in Lima which spans all periods of the Andean nation’s history, from the Stone Age to the Inca era. The museum also has the recreated version of the Lord of Sipán’s tomb, which contains the remains of the first complete Moche pre-Incan mummy.
The largest and most diverse pre-Columbian art collections in South America can be seen at The Larco Museum, a must-visit for art lovers. It is housed in a historic viceroy home from the 18th century that is filled with various pre-Columbian items. It has more than 40,000 pieces of ceramics that cannot be put on display. As a result, tourists are allowed to visit the warehouse too.
All traveling and no shopping is no fun at all. Surely there are great shopping malls in Lima but what is worthy of great attraction is South America’s oldest China Town at Lima’s historic center.
Visit the El Circuito Mágico del Agua water park in the nighttime with a Pisco Sour drink in hand to view one of the greatest light shows to be etched in your memory forever.
So what’s the delay? Let’s start a wonderful journey with online travel direct. Book your flights and hotels as soon as possible to have the best holiday of your life.