Are you thinking of traveling to Peru anytime soon? Most people who travel to Peru think of Cusco or Machu Picchu and don’t consider touring around Lima at least for a day before going to their primary destination. When you first land in Lima it seems that it is nothing of beauty, it is a city of desert and covered with fog most of the year.

Lima a city of nearly 9 million people actually is laid back even though the traffic is very hectic and trying to catch a bus can be confusing. The weather in Lima is great even though it is humid. In the summer it doesn’t get much above 85 degrees and in the winter it might get down to the 50’s at night but the weather is very lovely. There are many museums to see in Lima and also pre-Colombian temples. A person needs to be very careful when getting a taxi, it is best to get a company taxi versus a private taxi on the street, sometimes the taxi drivers will try to take advantage of the tourists and charge you too much. Also when traveling around Lima or any part of Peru always keep an eye on your personal belongings and don’t ware too much jewelry.

There is so much history in Lima you can easily find a museum or a cathedral to visit that will take you back to as early as the 1500’s. The most famous cathedral of all is the Lima Cathedral which they started building in 1535, but due to earthquakes they had to rebuild it several times and the cathedral was finally finished in 1645. Another well known church is the Church of San Francisco (La Iglesia de San Francisco). This Church and monastery are very interesting but the most intriguing part of it is the catacombs underneath the church. You can take this tour below the church which you will see piles of human bones, the guided tour will tell you the history of the church and the catacombs and that around 1800 is when they stopped putting bodies underneath the church.

On the brighter side of life, Lima has many wonderful parks to go to and also the Pacific Ocean to go look at. One of my favorite places to go to look at the ocean is Larcomar which is a multilevel shopping center located right on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Larcomar definitely is targeted towards the tourists, the shops are a little expensive but it is very relaxing with lots of eating places there also. Larcomar provides you with some awesome views of the ocean especially at sunset. If you want an incredible view of the ocean from your motel, stay in the JW Marriott they even have a balcony you can go out on and take photos of the ocean. If you just go north of Larcomar a few blocks away you can pay to go on a paragliding trip and they take you over the ocean and right next to Larcomar.

If you are on your trip with kids they would love this last place that I recommend. “The Magic Circuit of Water” in Lima’s Parque de la Reserva. Located adjacent to Peru’s National Stadium and near to the historic center of Lima, the Magic Circuit was completed in 2007, and gives visitors a truly magical experience. It is best to go there at night because everything is lighted up and there is also a laser light program with the water and music to go with it very amazing to see. Also there are certain water fountains where the kids can go and play.

So if you are planning to travel through Peru make sure you take the time to visit Lima. Lima is a great city to visit for a couple of days especially if you want to learn the history of the city of Lima. While traveling through Peru just remember to soak in everything you see and hear and remember how other people live today and even lived hundreds of years ago compared to how people lived in the country that you are from. Learning other people’s cultures to me is the most interesting thing and to respect their culture while visiting is important also.