Lima
Barranco, Peñas & Lima's Bohemian Colonial District
Barranco (the district immediately south of Miraflores â the most bohemian, most artistically vibrant, and most beautiful neighbourhood in Lima, with its colonial and republican-era wooden architecture, the Puente de los Suspiros, the art galleries, the craft beer bars, and the peñas (the traditional Peruvian folk music venues)) is where Lima's creative class gathers and where the city's cultural life is most alive.
Machu Picchu, Cusco & Peru's Inca Heritage
Peru's Inca heritage (the archaeological legacy of the Inca Empire â the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas, which at its peak (1438-1533 CE) stretched 4,300 km (2,670 miles) from the southern border of modern Colombia to the central Chile coast, encompassing the territory of 6 modern nations): Machu Picchu (the Inca citadel on the mountain ridge above the Urubamba River â the most visited archaeological site in South America and one of the most iconic sites in the world) and Cusco (the 'navel of the world' â the capital of the Inca Empire) are accessible as a 1-2 day extension from Lima.
San Isidro, the Olive Grove & Lima's Financial District
San Isidro (the 'El Bosque' district â Lima's primary financial and residential district, home to the 'El Olivar' (the ancient olive grove planted by the Spanish colonists in the 16th century, now a UNESCO-recognized urban park surrounded by the modern towers of the Lima financial district)) is the elegant, tree-lined heart of modern Lima â the district of the embassies, the international hotels, the luxury restaurants, and the headquarters of Peru's most important companies.
Miraflores, the MalecĂłn & Lima's Pacific Clifftop
Lima (the capital of Peru â population approximately 10.9 million in the city and 11.5 million in the Lima metropolitan area, the largest city in Peru and the 5th largest city in South America): Miraflores (the most affluent and most visited district of Lima â the district of the MalecĂłn (the clifftop promenade running along the 70-metre (230-foot) cliffs above the Pacific Ocean), the Larcomar (the clifftop shopping centre cut into the cliffs), and the best restaurants in Lima) is the gateway to Lima's extraordinary culinary scene and Pacific coast setting.
Huaca Pucllana & Lima's Urban Archaeological Wonders
Lima's urban huacas (the pre-Columbian adobe pyramid temples that survive within the urban fabric of modern Lima â the most remarkable urban archaeology in the Americas): the Huaca Pucllana (the 22-metre (72-foot) tall adobe pyramid of the Lima culture in the middle of Miraflores, surrounded by apartment buildings and restaurants) is the most surreal and most memorable archaeological site that any major city in the world contains within its urban fabric.
Ceviche, Central & Lima's World-Class Gastronomy
Lima's gastronomy (the food scene of the city that has been ranked the 'Gastronomic Capital of the Americas' â the city that produces the world's greatest ceviche, the restaurant Central (consistently ranked #1 in Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants and in the top 5 of the World's 50 Best Restaurants), and the restaurant Astrid y GastĂłn (the restaurant of chef GastĂłn Acurio â the chef who put Peruvian cuisine on the world gastronomic map)): Lima is the food city that changed how the world understands Latin American cuisine.
Museo Larco & Lima's Pre-Columbian Art Collections
The Museo Larco (the private museum of pre-Columbian art in the Pueblo Libre district of Lima â the finest pre-Columbian art museum in the world, with a collection of 45,000 objects spanning 4,000 years of Peruvian civilizations) is the essential museum for understanding the extraordinary artistic and cultural achievements of the ancient Andean civilizations that preceded the Incas â the Moche, the ChimĂș, the Wari, the Tiwanaku, and dozens of other cultures.
Lima Centro HistĂłrico, the Cathedral & Colonial Heritage
Lima's Centro HistĂłrico (the UNESCO World Heritage historic centre â one of the finest colonial urban ensembles in the Americas, the former capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru) with the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral of Lima (which contains the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, founder of Lima), the Palacio de Gobierno, and the baroque churches and colonial palaces of the 16th-18th centuries is the most historically significant colonial district in South America.
Lima Surfing, Chorrillos & the Pacific Beach Culture
Lima's surfing culture (Peru is one of the top surfing destinations in the world â the Peruvian Pacific coast produces some of the longest and most powerful waves in the world, including the legendary 'El Pico' left-hand point break at Punta Hermosa (50 km south of Lima) and the world-record wave at Puerto Chicama (600 km north of Lima â the longest left-hand wave in the world at 4 km)): Lima's urban beach culture and the historic Chorrillos fishing district are the Pacific soul of the city.