Just a five-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas, the vibrant Monasterio de San Francisco (museoconventosanfranciscoycatacumbas.com.pe, S25) is a masterpiece of baroque and neoclassical architecture that rewards curiosity both above and below ground.
Your admission includes a guided tour – best taken at the 9am opening to avoid crowds – that introduces you to the monastery’s lavish treasures, including the spectacular 1625 Moorish-style cedar cupola, an ancient library housing 25,000 antique texts and masterful religious paintings like Diego de la Puente’s Last Supper, which features a distinctly Peruvian twist (potatoes from the Americas).
However, the subterranean maze of the city’s old colonial cemetery holds the true marvel. These renowned catacombs house thousands of skeletal remains, with femurs and skulls artfully arranged by archaeologists to form striking, mandala-like patterns.