Planning a Trip

Arriving

Lima is the gateway for most international arrivals to Peru.

By Plane -- All flights from North America and Europe arrive at Lima's Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez (tel. 01/511-6055), located 16km (10 miles) west of the city center. Lima is connected by air with all major cities in Peru; there are regular flights to Ayacucho, Cusco, Puerto Maldonado, Juliaca, Arequipa, Tacna, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Pucallpa, Iquitos, Tarapoto, and Piura. The major domestic airlines are AeroCondor (tel. 305/531-1407 in the U.S., or 01/614-6000; www.aerocondor.com.pe), LanPeru (tel. 212/582-3250 in the U.S., or 01/213-8200; www.lan.com), LC Busre (tel. 01/619-1300; www.lcbusre.com.pe), StarPerú (tel. 01/705-9000; www.starperu.com), Taca Peru (tel. 01/213-7000; www.grupotaca.com), and TANS (tel. 01/611-5555; www.tansperu.com.pe).

The airport has a tourist information booth (in the international terminal only), two 24-hour currency-exchange windows, three banks, ATMs, a post office, and car-rental desks, including Avis (tel. 01/575-1637, ext. 4155; www.avis.com), Budget (tel. 01/575-1674; www.budget.com), and Hertz (tel. 01/575-1390; www.hertz.com). The tourist information booth can help with hotel reservations. The arrival and departure terminals can be very congested, especially when long lines form to pay departure taxes, when a number of flights arrive at once, and early in the morning when many flights depart Lima for Cusco. Be very mindful of your luggage and other belongings at all times. To get through large groups of travelers and relatives all hovering about, you might need to forget about being polite and simply push your way through the crowd.

Domestic departures require payment of a $5.04 exit tax; for international departures, the tax is $28.24. You must take your boarding pass to one of the booths in either terminal and stand in line to pay and receive a stamp indicating payment (in cash only) before proceeding to the departures area. Remember to reconfirm your flight at least 48 hours in advance and arrive at the airport with ample time before your flight. Flights are frequently overbooked, and passengers who have not reconfirmed their flights or who arrive later than (usually) 45 minutes before scheduled departure risk being bumped from the flight. Flights to Cusco are especially popular; make your reservations as far in advance as possible. Also check to be sure that you will have enough time to make your connecting flight if coming from overseas, and that you haven't been sold a charter flight inadvertently (American Airlines did this to me, and I was forced to stay over a day in Lima until I could get a regular flight the next day).

To get from the airport to Lima -- either downtown or to suburbs such as Miraflores, San Isidro, and Barranco (the sites of most tourist hotels) -- you can take a taxi or private bus. When you exit with your luggage, you will immediately be besieged with taxi offers; the ones nearest the door are invariably the most expensive. Taxis inside the security area at the international arrivals terminal charge around $20 to Miraflores and $15 to downtown Lima (Lima Centro). You can try bargaining or go just beyond the security area, where prices drop to about $10 to Miraflores and $8 to Lima Centro. The Urbanito Airport shuttle service (tel. 01/814-6932 or 99/573-238) delivers passengers to the doors of their hotels. Stop by the desk in the international terminal; buses to downtown S/21 ($6) and Miraflores and San Isidro S/28 ($8) leave every half-hour or so. The shuttle stops at the hotel of each passenger; at peak hours, if there are many passengers, this might not be the fastest way from the airport. Unless you're alone, it's also probably not the cheapest. Call a day ahead to arrange a pickup for your return to the airport. Private limousine taxis (taxis ejecutivos, or remises) also have desks in the airport; their fares range from S/105 ($30) to S/175 ($50) round-trip. One to try is MitsuTaxi (tel. 01/349-7722).

By Bus -- Lima is connected by bus to neighboring countries and all major cities in Peru. No central bus terminal exists, however; the multitude of bus companies serving various regions of the country all have terminals in Lima, making bus arrivals and departures exceedingly confusing for most travelers. Many terminals are located downtown, although several companies have their bases in the suburbs. Most bus terminals have nasty reputations for thievery and general unpleasantness; your best bet is to grab your things and hop into a cab pronto.

Of the dozens of bus companies servicing the capital and points around the country, the largest with frequent service in and out of Lima are Ormeño, Av. Javier Prado Este 1059, San Isidro (tel. 01/426-7595), Av. Carlos Zavala 177 (tel. 01/427-5679), and reservations (tel. 01/472-5000; www.grupo-ormeno.com); Cruz del Sur, Av. Javier Prado Este 1101, La Victoria (tel. 01/424-6158), and Jr. Quilca (tel. 01/424-1005; www.cruzdelsur.com.pe); Civa, Av. Paseo de la República 575 (tel. 01/332-5236; www.civa.com.pe); and Oltursa, Av. Aramburú 1160, San Isidro (tel. 01/225-4499; www.oltursa.com.pe).

By Train -- Lima is the starting point of the Ferrocarril Central Andino Railroad (tel. 01/361-2828; www.ferroviasperu.com.pe), the highest railway in the world (up to 4,781m/15,686 ft). However, the line has a problematic history (enough to discourage any reasonable traveler from planning his trip to Peru around it): the so-called "Tren Macho" was shut down for most of the 1980s and 1990s, and in recent years the passenger train to and from Huancayo has departed only once a month -- when it has departed at all -- from July to October. The 12- to 15-hour journey costs $38 round-trip. When running, it leaves downtown Lima at the Estación Central de Desamparados, Jr. Ancash 201 (tel. 01/361-2828, ext. 222), just behind the Government Palace. Check in advance of your trip with tourism authorities to verify that the train is indeed running (there are plans to convert the train to natural gas and reduce travel time to 4 hours, but don't hold your breath waiting for this to happen).

A taxi from the station to your downtown hotel costs S/4 ($1.15); to Miraflores, it costs S/10 ($2.85).

Visitor Information

A 24-hour tourist information booth, iPerú (tel. 01/574-8000), operates in the international terminal at the Jorge Chávez International Airport. The most helpful iPerú office is in Miraflores, at the Larcomar shopping mall, Módulo 14, Av. Malecón de la Reserva 610 (tel. 01/445-9400), open daily from noon to 8pm. Another office is in San Isidro at Jorge Basadre 610 (tel. 01/421-1627), open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 6:30pm. The Oficina de Información Turística in Lima Centro is located at Pasaje Los Escribanos 145, just off the Plaza de Armas, in Lima Centro (tel. 01/427-6080); it's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

One of the best private agencies for arrangements and city tours, as well as general information, is Fertur Perú, Jr. Junín 211 and Azángaro 105, within the Hotel España (tel. 01/427-1958). Another excellent spot for information and advice, particularly on outdoor and adventure travel in Peru, such as trekking, mountaineering, and rafting, is the South American Explorers, Piura 135, Miraflores (tel. 01/445-3306; www.samexplo.org). The organization is legendary among veteran South American travelers, and it's not a bad idea to become a member ($50) before traveling so that you can take advantage of its resources (you can also join on the spot). The clubhouse in Lima maintains a great library of maps, books, trail information, trip reports, and storage facilities. The Lima clubhouse is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 5pm (Wed until 8pm), and Saturday from 9:30am to 1pm. There are also clubhouses in Cusco and Quito, Ecuador.

City Layout

Lima is an exceedingly diffuse city, complicated to get around. The city center, known as Lima Centro, abuts the Río Rímac and the Rímac district across the river. The city beyond central Lima is a warren of ill-defined neighborhoods; most visitors are likely to set foot in only San Isidro, Miraflores, and Barranco, which hug the coast and the circuit of urban beaches leading to the so-called "Costa Verde." Major thoroughfares leading from the city center to outer neighborhoods are Avenida Benavides (to Callao); Avenida Brasil (to Pueblo Libre); Avenida Arequipa, Avenida Tacna, and Avenida Garcilaso de la Vega (to San Isidro and Miraflores); Paseo de la República (also known as Vía Expresa) and Avenida Panamá (to Miraflores and Barranco); and Avenida Panamericana Sur (to San Borja and south of Lima).

The Neighborhoods in Brief

Lima Centro Lima Centro is the historic heart of the city, where the Spaniards built the country's capital in colonial fashion. It has repeatedly suffered from earthquakes, fires, and neglect, so although it was once the continent's most important colonial city, stunning examples of the original town are less prevalent than one might expect. Much of Lima Centro is dirty, unsafe, crowded, and chaotic, although city officials are finally getting to much-needed restoration of the remaining historic buildings and have drastically upgraded police presence in the city center (making it just about as safe as anywhere in the city during the day). The great majority of visitors stay in outer suburbs rather than Lima Centro; most hotels are small hostales (inns) aimed at budget travelers and backpackers. The absolute heart of the Lima Centro is the Plaza de Armas, site of La Catedral (cathedral) and government palaces, and nearly all the colonial mansions and churches of interest are within walking distance of the square. Several of Lima's top museums are in Pueblo Libre, a couple kilometers southwest of Lima Centro, while San Borja, a couple kilometers directly south of Lima Centro, holds two of the finest collections in all of Peru.

Miraflores & San Isidro San Isidro and Miraflores, the most exclusive residential and commercial neighborhoods where most tourist hotels are located, are farther south (5-8km/3-5 miles) toward the coast. These districts are now the commercial heart of the city, having usurped that title from Lima Centro some years ago. San Isidro holds many of the city's top luxury hotels and a slew of offices and shopping malls. Miraflores is the focus of most travelers' visits to Lima; it contains the greatest number and variety of hotels, bars, and restaurants, as well as shopping outlets. A number of the city's finest hotels are along the malecón (boulevard) in Miraflores. Although San Isidro and Miraflores are middle-class neighborhoods, both are congested and not entirely free of crime.

Barranco Barranco, several kilometers farther out along the ocean, is a tranquil former seaside village that is the city's coolest and most relaxed district, now known primarily for its nightlife. It is where you'll find several of Lima's best restaurants, bars, and live-music spots, frequented by Limeños and visitors alike. The next district along the beach is Chorrillos, a residential neighborhood known primarily for its Pantanos de Villa, or swamps that are rich with flora and fauna.