We spent 3 days in Lima during our visit to Peru, following on from a trip to the spectacular Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Although there is plenty to see and do in the city centre, we chose to base ourselves in the genteel seaside suburb of Miraflores and spent just one day in central Lima.
How to get to Lima
We travelled to and from Lima by plane. The airport is 7 miles northwest of Lima (12 miles northwest of Miraflores). It is possible to reach the airport by public transport (Airport Express Lima offers an airport shuttle service, plus there are also public buses). However, like many hotels, our hotel arranged airport pick up.
Getting Around Lima
We did all our sightseeing in central Lima and around Miraflores on foot. We travelled between the two by taxi. The traffic was extremely heavy, so we decided against taking public transport.
Where to stay in Lima
As mentioned above, we chose to stay in Miraflores; a coastal suburb with plenty of hotels lining a promenade interspersed with numerous parks. We stayed at the Tierra Viva Miraflores Mendiburu. In fact, we stayed at Tierra Viva hotels for the duration of our time in Peru. We found all of them to be clean and comfortable with an excellent breakfast.
Lima in 3 Days Itinerary
| Flight to Lima Accommodation – Tierra Viva Miraflores Mendiburu | |
| Day 1 | Lima Museo de Arte de Lima Basilica la Merced Plaza Mayor Lima Cathedral Archbishop’s Palace Government Palace Basilica de Santo Domingo Convento de San Francisco Dinner at Rasson |
| Day 2 | Miraflores Malecón Lunch at Buenavista Café Parque del Amor Larcomar Parque Kennedy Dinner at Bao? |
| Day 3 | San Isidro Lugar de la Memoria, la Tolerancia y la Inclusión Social Parque Bicentenario Municipal Market Dinner at Todo Meyor |
Flight to Lima
Today, we are flying from Cuzco to Lima. I’m really looking forward to returning to sea level – very sea level as our hotel is only 400 metres from the ocean.
Accommodation – Tierra Viva Miraflores Mendiburu
We are staying in Miraflores, an upmarket suburb overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The hotel, Tierra Viva Miraflores Mendiburu, is very nice, but backs onto a scrap metal yard, so can be rather noisy during the day. However, if you peer over the car wrecks, you can just glimpse the ocean.
After a long day’s travelling, it’s a simple but tasty dinner of chicken and chips from a nearby restaurant, followed by a stroll along the Malecón; a promenade which runs along the cliff top, interspersed with parks and gardens, overlooking the ocean.
Lima Day 1 – Lima
Today, we are going sightseeing in Lima. The old man wimps out of using public transport, so we take a taxi into town.
Museo de Arte de Lima
We start at the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), which takes us on a brief chronological tour of 3000 years of Peruvian art.
The Spanish colonial art is kind of fun; indigenous artists weren’t allowed to sign their work, some got round this rule by painting their faces into the picture. It’s like playing a religious game of Where’s Wally?
The gallery is situated in extensive grounds with a plethora of sculptures, monuments and fountains.
MALI is open daily except Monday between 10 am and 6 pm (5 pm on Saturdays). Entry for foreigners costs 40 soles (around £8.50).
Basilica la Merced
From MALI, we walk the length of the old city, through the Plaza San Martín, to the ornately decorated Basilica la Merced. The 18th Century church has an impressive carved granite exterior.
Plaza Mayor
On to the Plaza Mayor (Main Square). The plaza with its flower beds and shady benches has at its centre a bronze fountain erected in 1650. It is surrounded by significant buildings. We stop to visit the Cathedral and adjoining Archbishop’s Palace.
Lima Cathedral
Lima Cathedral mixes macabre with gaudy. On entering, you encounter the Chapel of Francisco Pizarro (the Spanish conquistador who conquered Peru). Here, his bones are laid out on display together with a description of his various injuries – he was stabbed multiple times by the son of someone he’d had executed.
We pass several chapels decorated on the theory of more is more; brightly coloured, festooned with statues, balloons and flowers etc. Then, we descend into the crypt, with more bones and mummified corpses on display.
Archbishop’s Palace
Next to the cathedral is the Archbishop’s Palace with its intricately carved wooden facade. The palace is the residence of the Archbishop of Lima, so it is not possible to go inside.
Government Palace
Back in the plaza, we pass the Government Palace, where I upset a man with a large gun by taking a photo through the railings, and move swiftly on…
If you are here at midday, you can enjoy watching the ceremonial changing of the guard. It may also be possible, if a little complicated, to visit the interior of the palace. It involves registering with a formal letter via the Tourist Office at least a week in advance…
Basilica de Santo Domingo
We round our day off with two more churches.The pink Basilica de Santo Domingo and adjoining convent date back to the 16th Century. It has the kind of ornate golden interior you’d expect from a Spanish colonial church.
Convento de San Francisco
The Convento de San Francisco also dates back to colonial times. Here, you can descend into the bone lined catacombs for a taste of the macabre, with over 70,000 bones on display.
Guided tours of the catacombs take place at regular intervals every day between 9.30 am and 5.30 pm. Entry for foreigners costs 20 soles (around £4.20).
We are done for the day, five hours sightseeing in the heat is ample. Add on another hour for a taxi ride through Lima’s nightmare traffic back to Miraflores.
Dinner at Rasson
We are back in time for dinner; some very tasty chicken and veggies from Rasson, which specialises in Peruvian barbecue.
Lima Day 2 – Miraflores
Today, we are exploring the suburb of Miraflores. We start with a walk along the Malecón.
Malecón
The Malecón is a coastal pathway, which runs for almost six miles along the cliff top. It is actually made up of three sections; running south from Miraflores are the Malecón Cisneros and Malecón de la Reserva. Running north towards San Isidro is the Malecón de la Marina. These pathways offer a pleasant stroll through several gardens overlooking the ocean. The ocean itself is accessible, but this involves descending the cliff top and crossing a motorway. And to be honest, there’s a whiff of sewage on the ocean breeze, so we settle for admiring the ocean view from above amidst the flowers.
Lunch at Buenavista Café
We stop at the Buenavista Café for a drink and a microwaved empanada. Not the best lunch, but the café is on the clifftop overlooking the ocean, so at least it’s not kidding about the view being beautiful.
Parque del Amor
Separating the Malecón Cisneros and the Malecón de la Reserva is the Parque del Amor, a park lined by a mosaic wave wall. The park is dominated by a giant orange sculpture of a couple kissing; El Beso (The Kiss) by Peruvian artist Victor Delfín. This sculpture gives the park its name – Park of Love.
Larcomar
We continue along the Malecón, through the line of parks, until we reach Larcomar; a shopping mall built into the cliff side. Here, you will find shops, restaurants, two food courts, a cinema and theatre.
On the way, we spot Paddington Bear – who knew he’d made it back to Peru?
Parque Kennedy
Then, we walk back through Miraflores via the central park, which is either called Parque Kennedy or Parque 7 de Junio. Here, dozens of very well fed stray cats live amongst the flower beds.
Dinner at Bao?
After an afternoon chill in our room, we go out for dinner. The old man chooses Bao? which is probably best described as pretentious Asian street food. There are limited descriptions on the menu which, as an allergy sufferer, makes me particularly nervous. The food is interesting but very salty.
Lima Day 3 – San Isidro
It’s our last day in Peru and the old man is going on a boat trip to a nearby island. I have opted to stay closer to ‘home’ for a dose of culture. After breakfast, I set off along the Malecón in the opposite direction to yesterday, towards the suburb of San Isidro.
Lugar de la Memoria, la Tolerencia y la Inclusión Social
The main goal of my walk is to visit the Lugar de la Memoria, la Tolerancia y la Inclusión Social (Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion) or LUM for short; a museum dedicated to the victims of state violence in Peru during the 1980s and ’90s.
It is interesting. But the displays are only in Spanish and the language is very political. Somewhat beyond someone who has only had 20 Spanish lessons.
LUM is open daily except Monday from 10 am until 6 pm. Admission is free.
Parque Bicentenario
I walk on through the pleasant suburb of San Isidro with its beautifully manicured gardens until I reach the end of the Malecón. Across the road is the Parque Bicentenario, a beautifully landscaped park with a viewpoint offering a great view back along the coast.
Mercado Municipal
Adjacent is the Municipal Market; a food market where you can buy a whole range of local produce.
Dinner at Todo Mejor
Just past the market is Todo Mejor; a bakery/café which makes great empanadas. Washed down with some rather startlingly fluorescent yellow Inca Kola.
- Trip taken: March 2019
- Updated: October 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
Jane's Midlife Journey 
Leave a comment