Lima continues to glitter as the main gateway to Peru

May 15, 2010

For centuries, Lima, the historic capital of Peru and the country’s largest city, has been a vital hub in the Pacific coast of  Latin America.  The city was founded by the Spanish in 1535, as a strategic outpost to explore the varied and surprising treasures, natural and cultural, beheld all across the Peruvian territory.  During the colonial times, the city became a center of religious architecture and its churches, convents, squares, public and private buildings gave the city the reputation of a monumental urban center.

Nowadays, Lima is the main gateway for the constantly increasing flow of tourists and visitors from around the world, who come to visit the historic colonial city and, from there, initiate the exploration to discover the magnificence of the ancient Inca culture and its most renowned icon, the Machu Picchu Citadel; the colonial grandeur of Cuzco; the lush and exuberant Amazon jungle; the beauty of Arequipa, the Indian markets, the majesty of the Andes or the northern coast and interior, home to millenary civilizations.

Lima is truly a melting pot of cultures, the local way of life blending with that of migrants and visitors from all the continents, a fusion which is reflected on the unique architectural, ethnic and even gastronomical diversity.

The Spanish colonial architecture dominates many of the most important buildings, while the Monastery of San Francisco and its catacombs, the varied and superbly rich and interesting museums, the outdoor handicraft markets and the newer and more cosmopolitan districts of  Miraflores, San Isidro, Chorrillos or the picturesque and bohemian Barranco are some of the many places worth a visit.  The bustling port city of Callao, a short drive from Lima, is an increasingly port of call for large international cruise ships bringing in hundreds and hundreds of visitors, who tour the historic city or set off, by air or land, to explore other regions of Peru. The busy International Airport of Lima is also the gateway for thousands of visitors and hundreds of domestic flights connect Lima with the different regions and important travel destinations within Peru.

A relatively new attraction which is luring more tourists into Lima is its well deserved reputation as a culinary center to provide some of the most amazing gastronomic experiences for the most demanding of tastes… Hundreds of restaurants, many of them of truly world class, are the venue to treat the palate to some of the best cuisines in the Americas, with local traditional touches and ingredients, mixed with creativity, innovation, mouth-watering presentations and superb service…

The tourist infrastructure is also constantly on the go, with new or renovated hotels and hostels for all tastes and budgets, from international class five star establishments, to cozy small yet elegant boutique hotels or backpackers hostels keep increasing the varied offer of places to stay, not to speak of the equally numerous options of bars, cafés, discotheques and entertainment alternatives.

As long time experts in Peru and South America, we are ready to plan for you the best of Lima and, from there, the perfect place to start a memorable exploration of the fantastically varied array of natural and cultural attractions which the Andean nation has to offer to the world voyagers….