Lima Must See Sights

Monograms provides travelers access to a Local Host, so you will have someone on hand to answer those vacation questions pertaining to Lima. No waiting in line at the concierge desk or trying to ask your waitress at breakfast directions to the shopping district. Simply ask your Local Host about Lima and you'll be on your way in no time. Plus, your Local Host will share local Lima insights and share suggestions for getting off the beaten path, leaving you more time to create lasting vacation memories that are yours alone.

Meet a Local Host

I was born in Lima, Peru, and you can still find me there today welcoming visitors. I am proud to introduce Peru’s cultural diversity and stunning geography. I find it most gratifying when visitors keep returning to see more of Peru, as this country is like no other.

Rafael Larco Herrera Museum

The world’s largest collection of pre-Columbian art is housed in this museum. Marvel at the 45,000 pieces of ceramics, textiles, and jewelry from the Moche Dynasty.

Casa Hacienda Moreyra

The setting here is as delightful as the Peruvian cuisine. Dine in a 350-year-old colonial mansion adorned with paintings on loan from the Institute of Culture.

T’anta

For a bite on the run, this gourmet market is the place to go. Grab a salad or sandwich to go, or if you have the time, linger over the passion fruit tart in the café.

Canta Rana

Peru is famous for its ceviche—a dish of seafood marinated in citrus juices and served with roasted corn and onions. Canta Rana serves some of the best in Lima.

Killari

For handicrafts made in Peru, this shop in Miraflores offers a unique collection of weavings, ceramics, and silver.

La Posada del Mirador

Peru’s most famous cocktail is the Pisco Sour , made from Pisco, a regional grape brandy. You can enjoy one on the garden patio of this watering hole in the Barranco neighborhood. Occupying an old house overlooking the ocean, the setting is as great as the drink.

Barrio Chino

This neighborhood in Lima holds South America’s largest Chinese community. Visit any number of the neighborhood’s chifas for Chinese cuisine with a Peruvian twist.

Caballero de Fina Estampa

You can’t visit Lima without seeing at least one peña—a show at a criollo music club with inspiring vocal and dance performances. This criollo club, named after a famous Peruvian song, offers a terrific show.

Miraflores Jogging Path

It’s difficult to maintain your exercise routine on vacation. It’s even more difficult in a traffic-heavy city like Lima. The biking and jogging paths along the malecón in Miraflores offer a great way to get some exercise and see the city at the same time.

Country Club Lima Hotel

Experience the grandeur of this 1927 hacienda-style hotel. Enjoy afternoon tea under the light of elegant chandeliers as a pianist offers enjoyable background music.

Museo De La Nacion

Enjoy the National Museum, where impressive halls exhibit the most important aspects in the development of ancient Peru. Exhibits include replicas of archaeological sites, engravings and dioramas, and an extensive collection of ancient material.

Pachacamac Pilgimage Center

Built around 700 AD as a temple for the worship of the sun god, Pachacamac, it housed an oracle that is believed to be one of the main pilgrimage centers in pre-Columbian Peru and on a par with Cuzco. Pilgrims flocked here from far away to worship Pachacamac, who was believed to be the creator of the world and its creatures. The site includes palaces, plazas, and temples that have been painstakingly restored. The on-site museum has a collection of local relics.

Barranco

Every major city has its bohemian district—where all the artists and musicians hang out—and for Lima, this district is Barranco. The advantage of Barranco is that it combines all this with being a fashionable beach resort too. Originally a playground and place to spend the summer for the old aristocracy of Lima, the district is a cluster of houses, shops, and restaurants in and around a ravine near a cliff overlooking the beach. In Barranco, it is relatively easy to find a place to sip a coffee or a beer while enjoying a fine view over the ocean.

Islas Palomino

Sail to the islands of Callao. First see the yachts, warships, and merchant ships at anchor in Callao Bay. Then sail over "El Camotal" into the open sea, and observe sunken and stranded ships. Pass the Isle of San Lorenzo—with its long history going back to pre-Columbian times. There are fishing boats at work and many colonies of sea birds and Humboldt penguins. The farthest point on the trip is Palomino Island, home to a large number of seals and sea lions. In a wetsuit, you can swim among them, as they have no predators—it is an unforgettable and emotional moment. Then start your voyage back through impressively shaped islets and rocks.

Hacienda Mamacona

No more than 25 km to the south of Lima is a little-known hacienda where you can experience nature on the coast, ancestral customs, links with the Inca past, and the incomparable Peruvian paso horse. (Only Tuesday)

Astrid Y Gaston

This warm and chic modern, colonial dining room is hidden discreetly on a busy side street leading to Parque Central in the Miraflores district. The restaurant has high, white-peaked ceilings and orange walls decorated with colorful modern art—the products of local art students. At the back is an open kitchen, where one of the owners, Gastón, can be seen cooking with his staff. The place is sophisticated but low-key—a description that could fit most of its clients, who all seem to be regulars. The menu might be called "criollo-Mediterranean" with a light Peruvian touch.