The yellow and white 17th-century Convent of Saint Francis is one of the most striking of Lima’s Colonial-era churches, not to mention one of the few that survived the 1746 earthquake. A mandatory guided tour takes visitors through many highlights, such as an extraordinary library with 20,000 books, many of them centuries old, and a museum of religious art with a series of portraits of the apostles by the studio of famed Spanish painter Francisco Zurbarán. You’ll also find carved mudéjar (Moorish-style) ceilings, and cloisters lined with azulejos (glazed ceramic tiles) from Seville. The most memorable aspect of a visit is without a doubt what lies underneath the compound. Beginning in 1546, before the main cemetery was built, this was a burial ground for priests and some other original residents of Lima. As many as 25,000 bodies were interred here, and a walk through the catacombs reveals creepy displays of bones, like a round well neatly lined with skulls and femurs. Allow 1 1/2 hr. to see it all, including waiting time for an English-language tour.