On your trip to Peru, you will most likely need to spend a day in Lima either before or after Cusco. We spent two full days in Lima (one day at the beginning of the trip, and another day at the end of the trip). However, we could have easily done this all in one day.
Where to Stay
We stayed in the Milaflores district. Our research before the trip said that this was the safest district, so we chose here. We stayed in two different AirBnBs, and they were both close to Julio de 28 Ave. This street was close-by to everything we wanted to do, and perfect for spending the day in Lima.
How to get to & from the Airport
On our first day in Lima, we arrived VERY early in the morning (at about 12:45AM). Book your taxi in advance! There aren’t a lot of regulations for taxis in Peru, so literally anyone who owns a car can pick you up. Robberies are known to happen as well. A lot of the taxis that we saw on the road were literally falling apart, so making sure you book safe transportation is important.
You can check this website for a list of registered taxis that are recommended by the government.
We decided to go with Taxidatum. We used them for all of our airport transportation, and even to go on day tours from Cusco. They were on time, and drove safely. I would highly recommend them.
Morning
After sleeping in, we went out for breakfast in the Lacromar Shopping Area. There are lots of restaurants here with amazing views of the ocean. We chose to go to Tanta to eat for breakfast, and it was delicious! The service was SO good, and he even remembered us when we returned at the end of our trip – 12 days later!
After breakfast, we spent the rest of the morning walking along the waterfront. We visited the Parque del Amor which is along the water, and Parque John F. Kennedy to see all of the local cats, and stopped inside a church that is next to the Park. We also went to a near-by grocery store to pick up some snacks.
Afternoon
Apparently the best place to eat Ceviche is at Punto Azul. The locals recommended it to us, and the long wait time to get in also gave us a hint that it was THE place to eat, especially if you only have one day in Lima. But if you don’t mind the wait, or go earlier in the day before the big rush, then go check it out. I tried it, and it was actually really good. The portion sizes are massive.
Evening
On our first day in Lima, we really wanted to go to the Magic Water Circuit, in Reserve Park. However there weren’t any vans available at such short notice. We decided to spend the evening relaxing in the apartment and trying all of the local fruit that we had purchased at the grocery store.
If you’re hungry (we weren’t after eating so much all day), a few places you can go to are Tanta if you didn’t go there for breakfast, or any other restaurant along the waterfront in the Lacromar Shopping Area. We went to Papachos, and they made the guacamole right at the table!
On our last day in Lima, we went to the Magic Water Circuit in the evening. Admission (as of 2018) is s./4. It has 3 shows: at 7:15pm, 8:15pm and 9:15pm. Each show is 15 minutes long. The park is huge, so allow yourself a couple of hours to spend here. They have lots of fountains lit up, rides you can go on, and street food (I tried doughnuts covered in syrup which were delicious).
Also, keep in mind that rush hour in Lima starts at about 6pm and goes until about 8pm. It is CRAZY! Cars are honking at each other non-stop, creating lanes out of nowhere, and not following the street rules in general. It took us over 45 minutes to get to the water show so we missed the first show. Luckily there were 2 other shows!
How to Get to the Magic Water Circuit
We pre-booked with Taxidatum. After the show, they picked us up at a near-by hotel (so that we would be easier to find). We also used Uber while we were in Lima, which was a lot cheaper and just as safe.
Have you been to Lima, or are planning a trip there? Let me know in the comments below what you would recommend doing there!
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