4 Days in Lima: South America's Food Capital on the Pacific

Start at Parque Kennedy (the central park of Miraflores, home to dozens of friendly stray cats) and walk west to the clifftop malecon. Head south past Larcomar shopping center (built into the cliff face, worth a quick look), through Parque del Amor with its Gaudi-inspired mosaic benches and large sculpture of two lovers. On clear mornings, the Pacific stretches to the horizon. If the garua is in, the fog creates its own moody atmosphere. Paragliders launch from the cliffs near Parque Raimondi throughout the day.

This is the meal Lima is built around. Order the ceviche clasico (corvina or sea bass cured in leche de tigre, the citrus-chili marinade). Add a side of chicharron de calamar (fried calamari) and a glass of chicha morada (purple corn drink). La Mar by Gaston Acurio is the famous choice in Miraflores (arrive by 12:30 to avoid a long wait). For a less crowded alternative, El Mercado on Hipolito Unanue does excellent fish at lower prices. Remember: ceviche is a lunch dish. Eat it before 3pm.

A pre-Inca adobe pyramid from around 400 AD, sitting in the middle of a residential Miraflores block. The guided tours (included with admission) run every 15-20 minutes in Spanish and English and explain the Lima culture that built the site over 1,500 years ago. The restaurant next to the ruins is excellent for dinner (the view of the illuminated pyramid at night is memorable), but book ahead.

Larcomar, the open-air mall carved into the Miraflores cliff, has several bars and restaurants with ocean views. Mangos is the most popular for sunset cocktails. For something quieter, Cala restaurant sits on the beach below the cliff (access via Costa Verde road) and serves pisco sours with the sound of waves. The classic Lima cocktail is the pisco sour: pisco, lime, egg white, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters.

Take the Metropolitano or an Uber to Centro Historico and start at Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas). The Government Palace, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace with its carved wooden balconies frame the square. The Cathedral houses the remains of Francisco Pizarro. The changing of the guard at the Government Palace happens at noon daily and draws a crowd. Get here by 11:45 for a good view.

One block from the Plaza, this 17th-century monastery houses an extraordinary library, Moorish-tiled cloisters, and underground catacombs containing an estimated 25,000 sets of human remains arranged in geometric patterns. The guided tour (required, runs every 15 minutes) takes about 45 minutes. It is the single best museum experience in Centro Historico. Photography is not allowed in the catacombs.

Lima's Chinatown (Barrio Chino) is a 10-minute walk east from Plaza Mayor along Jiron de la Union. Peruvian-Chinese fusion food, called chifa, is one of Peru's most popular cuisines. Order arroz chaufa (fried rice with soy sauce, egg, and your choice of protein) and tallarin saltado (stir-fried noodles). Salon Capon on Jiron Ucayali and Wa Lok on Jiron Paruro are the best-known sit-down options. The surrounding streets are chaotic and crowded. Keep valuables secured.

Casa de Aliaga, directly on Plaza Mayor, has been continuously occupied by the same family since 1535, making it the oldest colonial residence in the Americas. The 30-minute guided tour shows courtyard gardens, period furniture, and 16th-century tile work. Palacio de Torre Tagle (on Jiron Ucayali) is now the Foreign Ministry but its baroque facade and Moorish balconies are free to admire from the street.

Head back to Miraflores by Metropolitano or Uber before dark. For dinner, try Peruvian-Japanese fusion (Nikkei cuisine) at Maido or Costanera 700, or keep it simple with pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken) at Pardos Chicken, a local chain that does it better than most. A quarter chicken with fries and salad runs S/25-35 ($7-9).

Walk or Uber from Miraflores to Barranco (15 minutes by car, 35 by foot along the malecon). Start at the Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), a short wooden bridge in a narrow alley of old painted houses. Walk the surrounding streets to see Barranco's best murals and street art, concentrated along Jiron Cajamarca, Jiron Domeyer, and around the main plaza. The MATE museum (Museo Mario Testino) on Avenida Pedro de Osma showcases the Peruvian fashion photographer's work in a restored colonial mansion.

MATE (Mario Testino) is the more polished experience, with rotating photography exhibitions in a beautifully restored 19th-century house. MAC Lima (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo), right on the malecon, focuses on contemporary Latin American art and sculpture in a minimalist concrete building. Pick one based on your interests. MAC is cheaper and faster. MATE is more photogenic.

Take a short Uber ride (10 minutes) to Mercado No. 1 de Surquillo, the market where Lima's top chefs buy their produce. The ground floor sells fruit, seafood, herbs, and Andean grains in colorful abundance. The second floor has simple lunch counters serving menu del dia: soup, a main course (usually a choice of two or three options), a drink, and sometimes dessert for S/12-18. Full ceviche plates go for S/15-20. This is how most working Limenos eat lunch. Arrive by noon for the best selection.

If you want more museum time, MALI houses 3,000 years of Peruvian art from pre-Columbian textiles to contemporary installations. The building itself is a restored 1872 exhibition palace in a large park. Alternatively, use this afternoon for shopping in Miraflores (Avenida Larco for commercial shops, Indio Market on Avenida Petit Thouars for souvenirs and alpaca textiles).

Return to Barranco for the evening. Isolina on Avenida San Martin serves massive portions of traditional Peruvian comfort food (the causa limena and tacu tacu are outstanding). Reservations recommended. After dinner, walk to Juanito's on the main plaza for a cheap beer in Barranco's oldest bar, then head to Ayahuasca (a converted colonial mansion turned cocktail bar) or Dedalo, a gallery-bar-cafe hybrid. Barranco is the best district for nightlife in Lima. The bars cluster within a few walkable blocks.

Located in Pueblo Libre (20-minute Uber from Miraflores), the Larco Museum is housed in an 18th-century viceregal mansion with bougainvillea-filled gardens. The collection spans 5,000 years of pre-Columbian Peruvian art, including an extraordinary gold and silver gallery. The ceramics room traces the evolution of Moche, Chimu, and Inca pottery. There is also a famous (and somewhat startling) gallery of erotic Moche ceramics. The on-site cafe in the garden courtyard is a nice place to decompress afterward.

For a pisco tasting, the bar at Hotel B in Barranco is one of the best in the city, or try the pisco flights at Museo del Pisco in Miraflores (multiple locations). If you prefer hands-on, a cooking class teaches you to make ceviche, lomo saltado, and pisco sours from scratch. Lima Gourmet Company and Peru Cooking Studio both run classes in Miraflores. Book at least a day ahead.

The Indio Market (Mercado Indio) on Avenida Petit Thouars in Miraflores is a large indoor market selling alpaca textiles, silver jewelry, ceramics, and souvenirs. Prices are negotiable but do not push too hard. For higher-quality alpaca goods, Kuna and Sol Alpaca have retail shops in Miraflores and Larcomar with fixed prices and verified quality. A bottle of good pisco (Portón, Barsol) from a supermarket costs S/35-60.

For a splurge, Central (currently ranked among the world's best restaurants) serves a multi-course tasting menu organized by altitude, from Pacific seafood to Andean grains. Reservations open months in advance. Maido (Peruvian-Japanese) and Kjolle (by Central's co-founder Pia Leon) are equally impressive and slightly easier to book. For an excellent final meal without the tasting-menu price, Astrid y Gaston in San Isidro is Gaston Acurio's flagship and the restaurant that started Lima's modern food revolution. Reservations strongly recommended for all of these.