LIMA, PERU

Situated on the Pacific Ocean, Lima is one of South America’s most heavily-populated cities. Known for its unique architecture, Lima is also home to charming street art, pretty neighborhoods, and parks filled with activity. I found that although this city is so large, it has a calming vibe to it and is a nice place to spend a few days at the beginning or end of your Peruvian travels.

Attractions:

Barranco: This neighborhood of Lima is filled with street art and good vibes! You can do a free walking tour here or walk around on your own.
Miraflores: Another lively and pretty neighborhood of Lima. To get a nice view of both Lima and the Pacific Ocean, head to Larcomar (a shopping center). Walking to Miraflores from Barranco takes 45 minutes.
Parque Kennedy: This is a nice park in the heart of Miraflores. There are plenty of benches, street artists, and cats here - as well as a cool statue of a bull. Nice place to go for a stroll! I ate and had a cup of coffee at Cafe de la Paz (which overlooks the park) and enjoyed myself - great ambiance!
Parque de la Reserva: Head here at night for a free water and light show! This park is pretty sizable with plenty of room to roam.
Old Quarter: This area of Lima is known as the historic city center and is lined with cobblestone streets (and cathedrals). You can find Plaza de Armas and the Church & Convent of San Francisco here.
Huaca Pucllana: These pre-Incan pyramids and ruins are located in the middle of Miraflores; entrance costs 15 PEN ($4 USD).
Other spots to check out: Park of Love, Forest El Olivar, Real Felipe Fortress, and Larco Museum.

Accommodation:

Hotel - Casa Andina Premium Miraflores: This 5-star hotel is part of the well-known “Casa Andina” Peruvian hotel chain. This location in particular has it all with a restaurant, pool, spa, sauna, and gym. Plus, you can’t beat the location as it is smack dab in the middle of Miraflores!
Hostel - 1900 Backpackers Hostel: Welcome to the first hostel located in Lima’s Historic Center! Booking a bed inside this beautiful, French-style building comes with daily yoga and cooking classes. I highly recommend!

Transportation:

Lima’s main bus station is Javier Prado Bus Station; all buses below leave from here. Private transportation options are available as well via Peru Adventure Tours.

Paracas is 3.5 hours by bus from Lima and costs 58 PEN ($15 USD).
Nazca is 7.5 hours by bus from Lima and costs 88 PEN ($23 USD). Here, you can find the world famous Nazca Lines!
Arequipa is 16.5 hours by bus from Lima and costs 120 PEN ($31 USD). The flight is 1.5 hours and costs 110-250 PEN ($29-$66 USD).
Cusco is 21.5 hours by bus from Lima and costs 185 PEN ($49 USD). An alternate route, which I recommend, is to fly the 1.5 hours from Lima to Cusco for 100-300 PEN ($26-$79 USD).
- If you are looking to see a lot of Peru in a few days, there is a Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus that runs from Lima to Cusco for $199 USD. This bus starts in Lima and stops in Paracas, Huacachina, Nazca, Arequipa, Puno, and Cusco.

Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) is 12km (7 miles) west of the city center and accessible via bus or taxi.

Airport Bus (Airport Express Lima): The ride from LIM to Miraflores is 1 hour and costs 30 PEN ($8 USD); buses run approximately every hour from 7:00am-12:00am and are cash only.
Official Airport Taxi: The ride is 30-40 minutes and costs 55-65 PEN ($15-$17 USD). There are three major official companies within LIM - Taxi365, Taxi Green, and Taxi Directo.
- Note: Do not use Uber as it is not an authorized taxi vendor in Lima.
Unofficial Airport Taxi: The ride is 30-40 minutes and costs 40-60 PEN ($10-$15 USD). These taxis are not metered making it imperative that you agree on a price IN SOLES before you get in the vehicle. They’ll start far above what they will eventually accept; don’t be afraid to play hardball! For the savings you will reap going this route, they are not worth it - especially because Lima taxi drivers do not have a good reputation. Go with one of the official taxi vendors listed above.
Local Bus: The ride is 2-3 hours and costs 2-5 PEN ($1 USD). Please note these “Imperial” buses, known as combis, depart from just outside the airport (here). I’d only recommend these for experienced travelers.

The exquisitely creepy selfie above was taken by my extremely talented cousin, Jake. Thanks, Cuz! The other two photos of me and Jake were taken by random folks walking by; thank you!