Top places to see in Lima and places to stay: Begin at the Parque Municipal, an open space surrounded by colonial architecture. From there walk down Zapita, over Puente de Los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), and out to the cliff lookout. The private Museo de Arte Colonial Pedro de Osma is housed in the historic mansion Palacio de Osma. The museum’s exceptional collection of colonial art from around Peru includes paintings, sculptures, metalwork, stonework, silver, and furniture.
This museum displays the wealthy businessman Yoshitaro Amano’s collection of pre-Colombian textiles and artifacts, amassed throughout his travels. The perfect place to take the kids or a date, El Circuito Mágico del Agua has daily light shows that are projected onto spouting fountains. If you want to get wet, go during the day and enjoy their interactive fountains that shoot water up from the ground. Central Restaurante comes in at number 5 in the Top 50 Best Restaurants in the world, and their chef and owner has been voted best chef in the world. Enjoy the exotic Peruvian cuisine, arranged and served by altitude.
There are plenty of excellent art museums in Lima, with the most famous being the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), located on the northern edge of the Parque de la Exposicion and hosting objects covering 3,000 years of history, including a superb collection of religious paintings from the Cusquena School. Further south in Barranco, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Lima (MAC Lima) is a good place to sink your teeth into modern and contemporary art. Look out for evening events (En Lima has a list of what’s happening in Lima’s museums) where you can sometimes meet the artists. Don’t miss the nearby MATE, Museo Mario Testino, where spacious rooms are filled with the work of the acclaimed photographer, who rose to fame with his portraits of her Royal Highness, Princess Diana.
The Magdalena Market (on the streets Galvez and Bolognesi, just west of Sucre) fills up in the evenings with young couples and families. If you’re looking for discounted clothes, shoes and movies, forget about overpriced, touristy Polvos Azules (near downtown): Magdalena’s Market is the place the locals get them. The market is open daily. The best time to go for fresh produce is in the morning, but the best time to go for people-watching and clothes shopping is in the evening when the rest of the neighborhood goes out to promenade in the market’s boulevard. Find even more images of this incredible ocean view penthouse on Facebook. Need a place to stay in Lima, Peru? Read a few extra info at Magdalena del Mar penthouse to rent.
The Museo Larco is a must-see for travelers interested in pre-Columbian art. The private museum, founded by Rafael Larco Herrera, is located in an 18th century building that was built over a seventh century pyramid. The museum’s collections, representing 5,000 years of Peruvian history, are arranged chronologically. The museum’s total collection numbers thousands of pieces. It is especially famous for its collection of pre-Columbian erotic pottery, which includes humans performing sex acts not only with each other but with gods and the dead. Equally impressive is the Gold and Silver Gallery, which includes objects such as funeral masks and jewelry worn by priests and rulers.