Must-see attractions in Lima

This small 17th-century church is considered to be one of the finest examples of baroque colonial-era architecture in Lima. Consecrated by the Jesuits in…

Honoring the first saint of the Americas, this plain, terracotta-hued church on a congested avenue is located roughly at the site of her birth. The modest…

Next to the Palacio Arzobispal, the cathedral resides on the plot of land that Pizarro designated for the city’s first church in 1535. Though it retains a…

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…

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…

Trace the history of Peru from the pre-ceramic period to the early republic. Displays include the famous Raimondi Stela, a 2.1m Chavín rock carving from…

In the 1820s the Spanish royalists made their last stand during the battle for independence at this historic fort, which was built in 1747 to guard…

This church has an elaborate churrigueresque facade (completed in 1720), replete with stone carvings of angels, flowers, fruit and, of course, St…

Located inside a little-visited 18th-century Jesuit church, this monument pays tribute to Peruvian battle heroes, from Túpac Amaru II, the 18th-century…

One block west of cuadra 12 off Av Arequipa, south of the Parque de la Reserva, the 100-year-old Museo de Historia Natural, run by the Universidád de San…

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…

Just north of MALI, the Museo de Arte Italiano exhibits a tepid collection of 19th- and 20th-century Italian art. Its best attribute is the glittering…

A block west of the main plaza, look for this renovated, narrow wooden bridge over an old stone stairway that leads to the beach. Especially popular with…

Housed in a historic 16th-century building where liberator of Peru General San Martín once slept, this cacao museum, with other outlets around the city,…

Protected from the ocean breeze by a colorful wall of mosaics, this park in Miraflores is the ideal place to walk hand in hand with that special someone…

This tranquil park, a veritable oasis in the middle of San Isidro, consists of the remnants of an old olive grove, part of which was planted by the…

Originally known as Parque de la Exposición, this revamped park has gardens and a small amphitheater for outdoor performances. Two of Lima’s major art…

In a brutalist concrete tower, this museum provides a cursory overview of Peru’s civilizations, from Chavín stone carvings and the knotted-rope quipus …

At the end of the attractive Alameda de los Descalzos, all but forgotten is this 16th-century convent and museum, run by the Descalzos (‘the Barefooted,’…

Innocuously tucked on a side street by the post office, Casa Aliaga stands on land given in 1535 to Jerónimo de Aliaga, one of Pizarro’s followers, and…