Lima Discovery Tour

In November 2016 John and I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Lima, Peru.

Lima, Peru


Since we didn’t have a lot of time to explore the city, we booked a 4 hour tour with Urban Adventures to get a snapshot of Lima’s sights.

Lima, Peru

We met our local guide and 4 other tourists at the main door of the Bolivar Hotel and then headed to Plaza San Martin.

Lima, Peru

The square is dedicated to General Jose de San Martin, a key leader for the struggle of independence in South America.

Lima, Peru

From there we walked along Jiron de la Union, a pedestrian avenue linking Plaza San Martin to Plaza de Armas.

Lima, Peru

Along the way we learned a lot about the various architecture:

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

And ornate balconies.

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Almost all of the buildings were built after an earthquake leveled the city in 1746.

Plaza de Armas of Lima, also called Plaza Mayor, is the birthplace of Lima and the core of the city.

Lima, Peru

It is surrounded by the Government Palace:

Lima, Peru

The Cathedral of Lima:

Lima, Peru

The Archbishop’s Palace of Lima:

Lima, Peru

The Municipal Palace and the Palace of the Union.

Lima, Peru

Behind the Government’s Palace is Casa de la Literatura Peruana (House of the Peruvian Literature).

Lima, Peru

The building was originally Lima’s main train station. Today it houses a cultural center and a library.

At the corner of the Government’s Palace is Bar Cordano, one of the oldest bars in the country.

Lima, Peru

The bar is a Lima institution as many presidents, poets, writers, artists and distinguished characters were (and still are) their customers in 110 years of history.

One block northeast of Plaza de Armas is Saint Francis Monastery:

Lima, Peru

This is where you’ll find the catacombs of Lima that were discovered in 1943.

Lima, Peru

It is estimated that 25,000 bodies were laid to rest there until 1808. Photography isn’t permitted inside, but I am sure you get the picture.

Our next stop was Mercado Central (Central Market), and you know how much I love walking through local markets.

Lima, Peru

Hundreds of vendors display the various ingredients of the city’s cuisine:

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

The market has everything from 55 varieties of corn to piles of meat and hooks of poultry.

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

And offal, of course.

Lima, Peru

The tour ends at Bar Maury with a Pisco Sour and Cancha Salada:

Lima, Peru

Peru’s iconic drink and all-time favorite snack.

We really enjoyed the Lima Discovery Tour.

Lima, Peru

It is the best way to get a small taste of Lima’s culture and history in a short period of time.

Urban Adventures Lima Discovery Tour
Duration: 4 hours
Meeting point: Gran Hotel Bolivar on the main entrance (Jr de la Unión 958, Plaza San Martin, Lima, Perú)
Starting time: 2.00 PM
Ending point: Maury Hotel, Jr. Ucayali 201, Downtown Lima

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While in Lima, be sure to check out two of my favorite restaurants.

You can read all about them HERE.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.