Peru Hotels Guide

More than 400 years ago, the Spanish conqueror ("conquistador") Francisco Pizarro named Lima the City of the Kings ("Ciudad de los Reyes"). Nowadays, that same city, which rose from the lands of the native chief Taulischusco, is a metropolis of over 7 million people who proudly preserve the colonial convents and mansions which are symbols of their ancient and noble traditions.

Lima, capital of Peru, founded on January 18, 1535, is a modern city which, while constantly expanding, has also managed to maintain the elegance of its Historic Center. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Center, due to the large number of artistic monuments found there, Historic Lima is an enchanting haven of a period long gone.

Lima's Cathedral, which City Fathers began building on the very day of the city's foundation; the Church and Convent of San Francisco, due to its harmony of volume and color, considered by some as the greatest architectural complex of its kind in Latin America, and Santo Domingo, with its beautiful main cloister, are but a few of the invaluable treasures which provide evidence of Lima's deep religious faith.

Similarly, mansions such as the House of Aliaga ("Casa Aliaga"), built upon the private temple of the chief Taulichusco; the House of Goyeneche or Rada ("Casa Goyeneche or Rada"), with its obvious French influences; and the Torre Tagle Palace ("Palacio de Torre Tagle"), the most beautiful of Lima's early 18th century mansions, all symbolize the splendor and ostentation of the Viceregal era.

Built on the banks of the River Rimac, and caressed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the city of Lima also preserves traces of its pre-Hispanic period; most notably the great sanctuary of Pachacamac, where a god of the same name was worshipped, and the 'huaca' Pucllana, in the district of Miraflores, an important administrative center of the Lima culture (400 AC).

Lima's name comes from the 'aymara' word lima-limac or limac-huayta, the name of a yellow flower; or from the quechua ´rimac´ meaning 'speaker'. Because of these links with the pre-Hispanic past, its colonial past and the strong religious faith it gave it; its modern outlook and its festive nature, which bathes its eternally gray sky in color, Lima, will always be the City of the Kings.

ATTRACTIONS IN LIMA

The visitor to Lima will never be bored, as there are so many nooks and crannies to discover and get to know. Visitors, like the native "Limeños", will notice that time flies while in the "City of Kings". So, make the best of your time while there, to visit its old mansions and impressive convents and churches, its pre-Hispanic ruins, its museums and squares and its modern parts as well with its skyscrapers and the neon lights that enliven its busy nightlife.

LIMA HISTORICAL CENTER

Lima Cathedral: Construction was begun on Lima Cathedral, on the city's Main Square (Plaza Mayor), with the city's foundation, on January 18, 1535. Initially a modest church, in 1564, architect Jeronimo de Aliaga designed a temple of monumental dimensions modeled on Seville Cathedral in Spain.

Notable features in its interior are its choir pews, the ivory baroque chapel of La Inmaculada and the Christ donated by Carlos V of Spain, and the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, the "conquistador" of Peru.

Santo Domingo Church: Santo Domingo, the oldest convent in Lima, is one the city's most peaceful spots due to its harmonious architectural style. Consisting of a series of cloisters and courtyards surrounded by service areas and community halls, to the right of its main altar, you will find the final resting places of Saint Rose of Lima, San Martin de Porres and the beatified Juan Masías.

Church and Convent of San Francisco: Due to its magnificent harmony of volume and color, San Francisco is considered by some as the greatest architectural complex of its kind in Latin America. Its construction was started in 1542 and completed in 1674.The convent, the cloisters and gatehouse are decorated with tiles from Seville. In the basement are underground galleries or catacombs that, during the Viceroyalty, served as a cemetery for the city.

LIMA HISTORICAL HOUSES

Casa Aliaga (House of Aliaga): This mansion was built over the private temple of the native chief Taulischusco, leading authority of the Rimac Valley during Inca times. The house belonged to Jeronimo de Aliaga who was given the land by Francisco Pizarro. Almost uniquely in both Peru and Latin America, the house continues to be occupied by descendants of the conquistador right to this day.

Casa de Pilatos (House of Pilate): This house is one of the oldest in Lima. Built in 1590 by Jesuit Luis Portillo, it owes its name due to its similarity with the Casa de Pilatos in Seville, Spain.

Casa Goyeneche or Rada (House of Goyeneche or Rada): One of the first mansions in Lima to display the French influence common in the mid 18th century, it still maintains its traditional structure today, most notably with its balconies and doorways, characteristic of that period.

Palacio de Torre Tagle (Torre Tagle Palace): The most beautiful of Lima's 18th century mansions, due to its true Limeño' architectural originality, harmoniously combining as it does Andalusian, Moorish, Creole and Asian features. The Palace, nowadays home to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has a stone facade and two carved balconies; both authentic "Limeño" architectural jewels.

The Government (or Presidential) Palace: Located on the Main Square (Plaza de Armas), it houses elegant apartments and halls, in addition to priceless paintings. It is also known as the Casa de Pizarro (House of Pizarro) due to the fact that it stands on the site the conquistador selected to govern from.

Court of the Holy Office or the Inquisition (Tribunal del Santo Oficio): The Inquisition was established in Peru in 1569 to punish heresies and other offenses against the Catholic religion, and wasn't abolished until 1820. The building has an imposing neoclassical portico and an exquisite ceiling carved in wood in its main hall, the finest extant in Lima.

SQUARES AND PARKS IN LIMA

Plaza Mayor (Main Square): Lima's Plaza Mayor is the "heart" of the city, lively and Creole to the core, a "heart" which started to beat the very day the city was founded. More beautiful than ever due to its recent renovation, its bronze fountain stands out; with its statue of the Angel of Fame holding a clarion in its left hand and its right a flag bearing both Lima's and the Crown's coat of arms.

Plaza San Martin (San Martin's Square): This "plaza" was inaugurated in 1921 on the Centennial of Peru's Independence. The monument in honor of General José de San Martín, Argentine Liberator of Peru, was created by Catalan sculptor, don Mariano Benlluire. The upper part shows the independence warrior ascending the Andes on horseback. The figure is leaning against a granite pedestal, which has the shape of a truncated pyramid with a stepped base.

Parque Universitario (University Park): Dating from 1870, when the city's colonial walls were demolished and 20,000 thousand square meters were designated for a small square. It was only decided to cobblestone it in 1920, and the German community of Peru arranged for the construction of a 30-meter high tower clock which chimes the music of the National Anthem every day at noon, to celebrate Peru's Independence Centennial

Pantanos de Villa (Villa Swamps): A Metropolitan Ecological Park in Chorrillos, 30 minutes from downtown Lima. The swamps or "humedales" (humid lands) stretch over more than 2,000 hectares and are a refuge for migrating birds.

LIMA CITY AT NIGHT

Lima nights had one name: Barranco, a traditional district with an old-fashioned atmosphere full of romance, and gathering point for Lima's bohemians. In this normally quiet part of the city, at nightfall that peace vanishes: Barranco changes with the moon. Hundreds of people take the discos, bars, restaurants, pubs, casinos and pinball halls as a storm. Too much noise and people. Not recommended at these days.

The night however is not just Barranco's, it can also be enjoyed in many other districts all over Lima, such as San Isidro and Miraflores where there are a great variety of options. As well as casinos, discos, bars, and pubs there are Peñas Criollas (live Afroperuvian music and dancing) where the 'jarana' (party) is at the rhythm of the guitar and the "cajón" (traditional percussion box), with waltzes and polkas, in the style of traditional Lima.

There is a multitude of reasons for chasing sleep away in Lima, as the "limeño" night is both seductive and tempting.

HOTEL AND LODGING IN LIMA

Due to increased tourism, Lima has improved hotel availability in recent years. Large, modern hotels have been built in Lima, mainly in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, with personnel trained in first class service, to the standards of leading cities worldwide.

As a result of this new competition, existing hotels have improved their infrastructure with further benefits for the tourist; offering wider choice and the possibility of enjoying an efficient, comfortable and guaranteed service.

Lima has hotels and hostels to suit the most diverse of budgets, with rates varying according to the services offered. In the city there are 1, 2 and 3 star hostels; 3, 4 and 5 star Apart Hotels and hotels ranging from 1 to 5 stars; outside. All establishments must display a sign indicating their category and authorization.

LIMA RESTAURANTS AND TYPICAL FOOD

Lima's menus offer a wide variety of dishes from all parts of the world as well as the more select dishes of Peruvian cuisine, amongst the best in the world. Whoever comes to Lima cannot leave without trying its "criollo" (traditional) food; particularly its many dishes based on fish and shellfish, which magnificently combine flavors and aromas beyond imagining. Ceviche, raw fish marinated in lemon juice and seasoned with chili, is the most representative of all Peruvian seafood dishes. Other favorites are the "jalea" (deep fried mixed fish and shellfish) and "tiradito", (strips of fish marinated in lemon juice, similar to ceviche) and "coctel de camarones" (shrimp cocktail).

Other jewels of "criollo" food are lomo saltado (stir fried pork and vegetables), carapulcra (a type of potato and meat stew), arroz con pato (duck cooked with rice), cau cau (tripe and vegetable stew) and anticuchos (barbecued pieces of meat, chicken or fish on a skewer). Desserts such as arroz con leche (rice pudding), mazamorra morada (a purple coloured jelly), suspiros a la limeña (a sticky sweet classic pudding), picarones (deep friend pumpkin and sweet potato doughnuts eaten dipped in sugar cane syrup) and turrón de Doña Pepa (a multi coloured cake). All these dishes are delicious enough to satisfy even the most demanding of tastes.

In Lima you will find excellent restaurants specializing in Chinese food; better known in Peru as 'chifas'. Chinese cuisine, which reached the City of the Kings with the first Asians who came to work in the haciendas close to the capital during the last century, has mixed in many cases with Peruvian cuisine, to create unique dishes such as Arroz Chaufa (stir fried rice).

One can also enjoy French, Italian, Japanese, Arab, and Argentine cuisine as well as a wide variety of international dishes at excellent restaurants within the 3 to 5-star category.