 Peru, the well-known home to the powers once ruling over the Incan empire, is a country still very much alive with many indigenous cultures and customs. Peru’s fascinating history incorporates these native traditions with those of the former European settlers and the African and Asian slaves brought to Peru during Spanish colonialism. Lima plays host to this incredible ethnic and cultural blend of peoples from every continent; its population of almost eight million is composed of locals and immigrants from every corner of the globe. As a cultural capital, Lima is famous for its incredible collection of priceless archaeological finds, bohemian arts scene, all set to the backdrop of a bustling industrial city.
Things to do on a visit to Lima:
- Visit the Peruvian National Museum of Anthropology, Archeology, and History and Museo Larco, famed for its collection of gold and erotic artifacts.
- Take a day trip up to Ancón to relax or surf at one of the beautiful beach resorts.
- Try a chifa, Peruvian–Chinese fusion cuisine, for which Lima is steadily growing famous.
- Take a stroll through the beautiful Parque de la Exposición, built for the International Exposition of Lima in 1871, containing botanical gardens, Japanese gardens, art museums, and theatres of Lima.
- Visit Huaca Pucllana, one of the pre-Incan archaeological ruins remaining in Lima.
- Head down to Huacachina, a small oasis village in the middle of the desert, to take part in the unique sport of sandboarding in the Peruvian sand dunes or to take one of the dune buggy tours.
- Try Inca Cola, the national soft drink
- Visit the town of Pisco and tour the vineyards where they make the national liquor, pisco.
- Check out the flea markets of Parque Kennedy, the central plaza of the neighborhood Miraflores.
- Visit the Lomas of Lachay National Reserve, full of a wide variety of Peruvian flora and fauna. If you visit between approximately July and November, the arid sandy mountains in this reserve actually turn a greenish hue because of the humidity caused by ocean winds carrying coastal fog inland.
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Daily Life in Lima
 The inhabitants of Lima, known as limeños, balance big city life and everyday jobs with the natural pleasures of Peru, such as the nearby beaches, boardwalks, expansive green plazas, and national parks. Work days begin in the late morning after a hearty breakfast, breaking only for lunch, the largest meal of the day. Lima is most well-known for its incredible seafood and its most popular plate, known as ceviche, but many indigenous traditions such as an appetizer of mazorca (hardened corn kernels), are still in fashion. The potato is a staple food in Peru, which boasts the greatest variety of potatoes in the world; there are more than 3000 types of potatoes on record, with the most popular being the yellow potato, delicious when mashed. Dinners are very light, consisting of maybe fruit or sandwiches, and are typically eaten around 7 or 8PM. Lima has a very large student population; hosting an array of universities, many students come from the interior of the country to study in the capital. As a result, clubbing as discotecas and bars are popular at night; clubs generally close around 3 or 4AM. On the weekends, many limeños escape to the nearby beach resorts for surfing, swimming, and relaxing, or head to the neighborhoods of Miraflores and San Isidro to shop at one of the massive weekend craft markets.
 History of Lima
Spanish colonialists founded Lima, originally called the City of Kings, in the mid 1500s in order to serve as the capital of the Peruvian viceroyalty because of its ideal location in the valley next to the Rímac River. The land was solely inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Inca Empire up to this point, but Spanish conquest brought universities, colonial palaces, and Catholicism to the Peruvian capital. Serving as a trade center for all of South America, the city had great economic success in the century following, until the devastation of several earthquakes and the appearance of pirates and racketeers in the late 1600s. After the liberation of Peru in the early 1800s by General San Martín, Lima suffered from political disorganization, but eventually was able to recover due to increased exportation, and has since gone through rapid urbanization and population expansion due to widespread Latin American immigration. Lima is now a cultural capital of South America, boasting the title of an UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic town center.
Go to Spanish Courses
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5. The City
