Peru/Lima – Centro historico

Once known as the ‘City of Kings’ Lima’s historic centre was founded by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro in 1535. The Spanish colons brought, amongst other things, the catholic religion to Peru which is very visible in the historical center. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and despite being damaged by a series of earthquakes this century, is a great place to get a feel for Peru’s history.

One particular aspect that I liked: the balconies. There are more than 1,600 carved wooden balconies in the center, built during the Spanish colonial rule. In order to retain its conservation, the Municipality of Lima has invited individuals and companies to “adopt a balcony” in order to maintain them.

What to do:

Plaza de Armas or Plaza Mayor: colorful main square where Peru was declared a Republic in 1821. You will also see the Palacio de Gobierno, seat of the Peruvian Government and the official residence of the President of Peru.
Plaza de San Martin: beautiful square It is located near the Plaza de Armas and is connected to it by the Jiron de la Union (shopping street)
Santo Domingo church: famous for housing the original skulls of Santa Rosa, Lima’s patron saint and San Martín de Porres, South America’s first black saint
Jiron Camana 170, Mon-Sun 08:30am-5:30pm, 7 soles
Monasterio de San Francisco: yellow monastery and church most famous for its catacombs containing an estimated of 25’000 bodies and its remarkable library housing 25’000 antique volumes. I really enjoyed the tour, the building inside is beautiful with wooden details, mosaics inspired from Seville art, and an interior garden so peaceful in the middle of the city. I would not recommend claustrophobic people to visit the catacombs, thought…
Plazuela San Francisco, Mon-Sun 9:30am-7:30pm, 15 soles (about 60 min guided tour included in Spanish or English)
Circuito Magico del Agua: series of a dozen illuminated fountains and capped by a laser light show at the 120m-long Fuente de la Fantasía (Fantasy Fountain) on a series of different tunes from Peruvian waltzes to ABBA
Parque de la Reserva, Block 5 Avenida Petit Thouars. The park is open from 15.00 – 22.30 and the light show takes place at 19.15, 20.15 and 21.30 from Tuesdays to Sundays, 4 soles
Correo Central de Lima: post office, the pink building is magnificent. There is a gallery in the back where you will find vendors selling stuffed animals and other souvenirs. It is actually because the Peruvians have a tradition of sending their loved ones a gift by mail: the longer you’ve been together, the bigger the gift. So romantic!
Jiron Junin y Jiron de la Union
Casa de la Gastronomia Peruana: this new museum provides a brief but helpful introduction to the world-famous Peruvian cuisine. The building is the previous Postal office and is an architectural beauty of itself. I would say the tour takes 30min-1h and is a good may of understanding Peruvian food (before eating it).
Jr. Conde de Superunda 170, Tue-Sun 9am-5pm, 3 soles
Museo Banco Central de Reserva del Peru (BCRP): housed in a bank building, the museum is an overview of several millennia of Peruvian art. I’m not a big fan of the art exposed, but the building is nice to visit for a short break.
At the corner of Jr. Lampa and Jirón Ucayali 271, Tue-Sat 9am-5pm, Wednesdays until 7pm, free entrance but you have to leave your bag at the cloakroom