Barranco: Lima's Bohemian Seaside Quarter
Barranco — Lima's most romantic neighbourhood, on the clifftops south of Miraflores — has been the artists' quarter of the city since the 19th century; the wooden colonial architecture, the Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), the street art, and the contemporary arts scene make it Lima's most culturally alive neighbourhood
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Bridge of Sighs
Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs) – a wooden footbridge over the gorge of Barranco – is Lima's most romantic landmark; legend has it that crossing the bridge while holding your breath and making a wish grants it; the bridge leads down to the Pacific Ocean through a narrow barranco (ravine) filled with bougainvillea
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Colonial wooden architecture
Barranco's residential streets retain a concentration of late 19th- and early 20th-century houses with wooden balconies—the Lima belle époque style—that have been preserved in Barranco while being demolished elsewhere; the district's architectural heritage is under constant pressure from development
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MATE Museum
The MATE Museum (Mario Testino Art Experiences) - in a beautifully restored Barranco mansion - showcases the work of Lima-born fashion photographer Mario Testino alongside temporary exhibitions; the museum's restoration of the colonial mansion and its garden is as remarkable as the photography collection
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Street Art Scene
Barranco has the highest concentration of legal street art in Lima — the municipality has supported mural projects on neighborhood walls for over a decade; the murals range from large-scale portraits to abstract works to political commentary; The streets of Barranco have become an open-air gallery
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Bar and nightlife
Barranco's bar scene – centered around Plaza de Barranco and the surrounding streets – is Lima's most atmospheric; the bars occupy renovated colonial houses, the music ranges from Latin jazz to electronic, and the crowd mixes artists, students and tourists; the district's nightlife starts late and lasts until dawn
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MALI and art scene
MALI (Museo de Arte de Lima) — in the Palacio de la Exposición — is Peru's premier art museum with a collection of 18,000 works spanning 3,000 years of Peruvian art; Barranco has become a gallery district that complements the museum's collection with contemporary Peruvian and Latin American art