In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the five pedestrian blocks on Jirón de la Unión, from the Plaza de Armas to Plaza San Martín, were the place to see and be seen. The street has long since lost its aristocratic luster, but the shells of neocolonial and art-deco buildings survive. Watch out for pickpockets who work the crowds during street performances.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.91 MILES
In an 18th-century viceroy’s mansion, this museum offers one of the largest, best-presented displays of ceramics in Lima. Founded by pre-Columbian…
0.39 MILES
One of Lima’s most historic religious sites, the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and its expansive convent are built on land granted to the Dominican friar…
1.41 MILES
This indulgent series of illuminated fountains is so over the top it can’t help but induce stupefaction among even the most hardened travel cynic. A dozen…
4.49 MILES
The well-designed Fundación Museo Amano features a fine private collection of ceramics, with a strong representation of wares from the Chimú and Nazca…
0.79 MILES
Known locally as MALI, Lima’s principal fine-art museum is housed in a striking beaux-arts building that was renovated in 2015. Subjects range from pre…
7.69 MILES
Superstar graffiti artists are helping to revive the rough neighborhood surrounding Casa Ronald, a 1920 architectural masterpiece. Now a center for…
0.32 MILES
Lima’s 140-sq-meter Plaza de Armas, also called the Plaza Mayor, was not only the heart of the 16th-century settlement established by Francisco Pizarro,…
0.21 MILES
Housed in a pristine 19th-century mansion with Spanish tile floors, this worthwhile private museum showcases a vast collection of minerals, as well as…
Nearby Lima attractions
0.11 MILES
The first Latin Mass in Lima was held in 1534 on a small patch of land now marked by the Iglesia de la Merced. Originally built in 1541, it was rebuilt…
0.16 MILES
Toward the center of downtown, this traditional casona houses the small Museum of Art & Popular Tradition.
0.17 MILES
Built in the early 20th century, Plaza San Martín has come to life in recent years as the city has set about restoring its park and giving the surrounding…
0.2 MILES
This church has an elaborate churrigueresque facade (completed in 1720), replete with stone carvings of angels, flowers, fruit and, of course, St…
0.21 MILES
Housed in a pristine 19th-century mansion with Spanish tile floors, this worthwhile private museum showcases a vast collection of minerals, as well as…
0.26 MILES
Housed in a graceful bank building, the Museo Central is a well-presented overview of several millennia of Peruvian art, from pre-Columbian gold and…
0.32 MILES
Lima’s 140-sq-meter Plaza de Armas, also called the Plaza Mayor, was not only the heart of the 16th-century settlement established by Francisco Pizarro,…
0.32 MILES
The most immaculate of Lima’s historic casonas was completed in 1735, and features an ornate baroque portico (the best one in Lima) and striking Moorish…