Lima - Peru

Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru, as well as the capital of Lima Province. It is the cultural, industrial, financial, and transport hub of the country. The city is located in an area encompassing the valleys of the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin rivers. It lies on a desertic coast adjacent to the bay in the Pacific Ocean where its port was built and named Callao.

Founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is also known as the City of Kings. For more than three centuries, Lima was the most important city and the greatest metropolis in South America. More than four centuries have passed since its founding as a Spanish city, and Lima has become an expression of Peru's heritage, with nearly one-third of the nation's population living in its metropolitan area.


While there is no formal administrative definition for the city of Lima, it is generally considered to be comprised of the central 30 out of the 43 districts of Lima province, corresponding roughly to the urban area centered on the historic Cercado de Lima district. The city serves as the core of the Lima Metropolitan Area, one of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the Americas.

The Historic centre of Lima, located in downtown Lima and the Rimac District, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 due to the large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial era, a small number of which have now been restored. In particular, the monumental Plaza Mayor, with the 16th century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, and the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco are popular with visitors.

Several sections of the Lima City Walls can still be seen. These fine examples of Spanish medieval fortification were used to defend Lima from attacks from pirates and corsairs.

The city also has a number of fine museums, notably the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, both in the Pueblo Libre district.

Many small beaches, which are heavily visited during the summer months, are located by the southern Pan-American Highway. The most well-known ones are located in the districts of Santa Maria del Mar, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo and Pucusana. Also, the district of Ancon, located north of the city, has a very popular beach resort.

Numerous restaurants, clubs and hotels have been opened in these places to serve the many beachgoers. The beaches in Lima itself are not suitable for swimming because the city's sewage is dumped raw into the ocean.

The suburban district of Cieneguilla and the town of Chosica (in the Lurigancho District) provide attractive green landscapes at a short distance from the city. Because of their elevation (over 500 meters), the sun shines in these areas even during winter and hence they are visited by residents of Lima to escape from the winter fog.

Recently, the Palomino Islands near the port of Callao have attracted visitors due to a population of sea lions.

Situated in Monterrico, the Gold Museum, together with the even more interesting textile museum. Here can be seen almost perfectly preserved thousand year old garments and feathered capes recovered from the waterless deserts of Western Peru. Also in the same building, an arms museum with a huge range of antique Spanish firearms, among muskets and arquebuses.


Lima Pictures