Things To Do in Lima

Many visitors to Lima are merely on their way to other places in Peru, and few spend more than a couple of days in the capital. But because nearly all transport goes through Lima, most people take advantage of layovers to see what distinguishes the city: its colonial old quarter -- once the finest in the Americas -- and several of the finest museums in Peru, all of which serve as magnificent introductions to Peruvian history and culture.

Much of the historic center has suffered from sad neglect; the municipal government is committed to restoring the aesthetic value, but, with limited funds, it faces a daunting task. Today central Lima has a noticeable police presence and is considerably safer than it was just a few years ago. A full day in Lima Centro should suffice; depending on your interests, you could spend several days traipsing through Lima's many museum collections, many of which are dispersed in otherwise unremarkable neighborhoods. But for those with a couple extra days in the city, when Lima's traffic and grit get to you, head to the artsy coastal neighborhood, Barranco, home to Lima's best nightlife and the site of a handful of excellent small museums. It will likely greatly improve your impressions of the capital.

What to See & Do in Lima Centro

Lima’s grand Plaza de Armas (also called the Plaza Mayor, or Main Square), the original center of the city and the site where Francisco Pizarro founded the city in 1535, is essentially a modern reconstruction. The disastrous 1746 earthquake that initiated the city’s decline leveled most of the 16th- and 17th-century buildings in the old center. The plaza has witnessed everything from bullfights to Inquisition-related executions. The oldest surviving element of the square is the central bronze fountain, which dates from 1651. Today the square, although perhaps not the most beautiful or languid in South America, is still rather distinguished beneath a surface level of grime and bustle (and it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The major palaces and cathedral are mostly harmonious in architectural style and color. (The facades are a mix of natural stone and a once-bold yellow color now dulled by smog and mist.) On the north side of the square is the early-20th-century Palacio del Gobierno (Presidential Palace), where a changing of the guard takes place daily at noon; free guided visits of the palace are offered Monday through Friday from 10am to 12:30pm. The Municipalidad de Lima (City Hall) is on the west side of the plaza. Across the square is La Catedral (Cathedral), rebuilt after the earthquake, making it by far the oldest building on the square, and, next to the cathedral, the Palacio Episcopal (Archbishop’s Palace), distinguished by an extraordinary wooden balcony.

A block north of the Plaza de Armas, behind the Presidential Palace, is the Río Rímac and a 17th-century Roman-style bridge, the Puente de Piedra (literally, “stone bridge”). It leads to the once-fashionable Rímac district, today considerably less chic—some would say downright dangerous—although it is the location of a few of Lima’s best peñas, or live criolla (Creole/coastal) music clubs. The Plaza de Acho bullring, once the largest in the world, and the decent Museo Taurino (Bullfighting Museum) are near the river at Hualgayoc 332 (tel. 01/482-3360). The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm, and admission is S/6. The ring is in full swing during the Fiestas Patrias (national holidays) at the end of July; the regular season runs October through December.

Five blocks southwest of Plaza de Armas is Lima Centro’s other grand square, Plaza San Martín. Inaugurated in 1921, this stately square with handsome gardens was recently renovated. At its center is a large monument to the South American liberator, José de San Martín.

Lima’s Barrio Chino, the largest Chinese community in South America (200,000 plus), is the best place to get a taste of the Peruvian twist on traditional Chinese cooking in the neighborhood’s chifas. For recommendations, see “Peruvian Chifas”. The official boundary of Chinatown is the large gate on Jirón Ucayali.

COLONIAL CHURCH ROUNDUP

Lima Centro has a number of fine colonial-era churches worth visiting. Most are open Monday through Saturday for visits, and most have free admission.

Directly south of La Catedral on Azángaro at Ucayali, Iglesia de San Pedro (tel. 01/428-3017), a Jesuit church that dates to 1638, is perhaps the best-preserved example of early colonial religious architecture in the city. The exterior is simple and rather austere, but the interior is rich with gilded altars and balconies. The bold main altar, with columns and balconies and sculpted figures, is particularly impressive. There are also some beautiful 17th- and 18th-century baroque retablos (altars) of carved wood and gold leaf. A small museum of colonial art is to the right of the entrance of the church, which is open Monday through Saturday from 7am to noon and 5 to 8pm; admission is free.

Iglesia de La Merced, Jr. de la Unión at Miró Quesada (tel. 01/427-8199), 2 blocks southwest of the Plaza de Armas, was erected on the site of Lima’s first Mass in 1534. The 18th-century church has a striking carved baroque colonial facade. Inside, the sacristy, embellished with Moorish tiles, and the main altar are excellent examples of the period. The church also possesses a nice collection of colonial art. Yet it is perhaps most notable for the devoted followers of Padre Urraca, a 17th-century priest; they come daily in droves to pay their respects, praying and touching the large silver cross dedicated to him in the nave on the right, and leaving many mementos of their veneration. The church is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to noon and 4 to 8pm.

Practically destroyed during an 1895 revolution, La Basílica Menor y Convento de San Agustín, at the corner of Jr. Ica and Jr. Camaná (tel. 01/427-7548), is distinguished by a spectacular churrigueresque facade, one of the best of its kind in Peru, dating to the early 18th century. San Agustín’s official hours are daily from 8 to 11am and 4:30 to 7pm, but, in practice, it’s frequently closed. The Convento de Santo Domingo, at the corner of Conde de Superunda and Camaná, toward the River Rímac (www.conventosantodomingo.pe; tel. 01/427-6793), draws many Peruvians to visit the tombs of Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porras. It is perhaps of less interest to foreign visitors, although it does have a very nice main cloister. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm and 3 to 6pm; admission is S/5.

Las Nazarenas, at the corner of Huancavelica and Avenida Tacna on the northwest edge of the colonial center (tel. 01/423-5718), has a remarkable history. It was constructed in the 18th century around a locally famous painting of Christ by an Angolan slave. Known as “El Señor de los Milagros,” the image, painted on the wall of a simple abode in 1651 (many slaves lived in this area on the fringes of the city), survived the massive 1655 earthquake, even though everything around it crumbled. The site was abandoned for 15 years until someone rediscovered it and began to build a shrine around it. People began to flock to the painting, and soon the Catholic Church constructed a house of worship for it. Behind the altar, on the still-standing wall, is an oil replica, which is paraded through the streets on a 1-ton silver litter during the El

Señor de los Milagros festival; this is one of Lima’s largest festivals and is held on October 18, 19, and 28 and November 1. Everyone wears purple during the procession. Las Nazarenas is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30am to noon and 5 to 8:30pm.

COLONIAL PALACE ROUNDUP

The historic quarter of Lima, the old administrative capital of Spain’s South American colonies, once boasted many of the finest mansions in the hemisphere. Repeated devastation by earthquakes and more recent public and private inability to maintain many of the superb surviving casas coloniales, however, has left Lima with only a handful of houses open to the public.

Casa Riva-Agüero, Camaná 459 (ira.pucp.edu.pe; tel. 01/626-6600), is an impressive 18th-century mansion with a beautiful green-and-red courtyard that now belongs to the Catholic University of Peru. It has a small folk-art museum in the restored and furnished interior. The house is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm; admission is S/2. Casa Aliaga, Jr. de la Unión 224 (www.casadealiaga.com; tel. 01/427-7736), is the oldest surviving house in Lima, dating from 1535. It is also one of Lima’s finest mansions, with an extraordinary inner patio and elegant salons, and it continues to be owned and lived in by descendants of the original family. The house is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm (by advance reservation only); admission is S/30. A worthy alternative is Casa de Osambela Oquendo, Conde de Superunda 298 (tel. 01/428-7919). The tallest house in colonial Lima, today it belongs to the Ministry of Education. Although it’s still not officially open for visits, the caretaker will usually show visitors around, including up four levels to the baby-blue cupola-mirador for views over the city. (The original owner built the house so he could see all the way to the port.) The Osambela house has a spectacular patio, 40 bedrooms, and eight wooden balconies to the street, a sure sign of the owner’s great wealth. It’s open daily from 9am to 5pm; admission is free, but tips are accepted.

A couple of blocks east of the Plaza de Armas at Ucayali 363 is Palacio Torre Tagle, the most famous palace in Lima and one of the most handsome in Peru. Today the early-18th-century palace, built by a marquis who was treasurer of the Royal Spanish fleet, belongs to the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, sadly, can no longer be visited by the public (though it may be worth inquiring at the Ministry, next door at Ucayali 318). Its exterior, with a gorgeous baroque stone doorway and carved dark-wood balconies, is very much worth a look (and you might get a peek inside the courtyard if a group of dark suits enters or leaves when you’re passing by). Across the street from Torre Tagle, Casa Goyeneche (also called Casa de Rada) is another impressive 18th-century mansion, with distinct French influences; it’s also not open to the public (although you might be able to manage a peek at the patio). Those with a specific interest in colonial architecture might also want to have a look at the facades of Casa Negreiros, Jr. Azángaro 532; Casa de las Trece Monedas, Jr. Ancash 536; Casa Barbieri, Jirón Callao at Rufino Torrico; Casa de Pilatos, Jr. Ancash 390; and Casa la Riva, Jr. Ica 426.

Me Ama, No Me Ama, Me Ama . . . -- A curious park along the ocean at the edge of Miraflores, much beloved by Limeños looking to score, is the Parque del Amor (literally, "Love Park"), designed by the Peruvian artist Victor Delfín with a nod to Antoni Gaudí's Parque Güell in Barcelona, Spain. It features good views of the sea (when it's not shrouded in heavy fog), benches swathed in broken-tile mosaics, and, most amusingly, a giant, rather grotesque statue of a couple making out -- which is pretty much what everyone does nearby. Benches are inscribed with sentimental murmurs of love, such as vuelve mi palomita. If it's Valentines Day, stand back.

All That Glitters Isn't Necessarily Gold

The privately held Museo Oro del Perú (Gold Museum), for decades the most visited museum in Peru, was part of a must-see museum triumvirate in Lima only a few years ago. But that was before the National Institute of Culture and the Tourism Protection Bureau declared just about everything in the museum -- some 7,000 or more pieces -- to be fake. The massive collection, mainly consisting of supposed pre-Columbian gold, was assembled by one man, Miguel Mujica Gallo -- who, perhaps fortunately, died just days before the investigation into his collection was launched. Although the museum was expensive and poorly organized, all that glittering gold -- augmented by hundreds (if not thousands) of ceremonial objects, tapestries, masks, ancient weapons, clothing, several mummies, and military weaponry from medieval Europe to ancient Japan -- certainly caught many a visitor's eye over the years. Though the museum contends that everything on display is authentic, it's pretty difficult to recommend visiting a collection with such a fraudulent history. The museum is located at Av. Alonso de Molina 1100, Monterrico (tel. 01/3451292; www.museoroperu.com.pe; daily 10:30am-6pm; admission S/33 for adults, S/16 for students. A taxi is the most direct way here; coming by colectivo involves taking at least two buses along Arequipa to Avenida Angamos, changing to one marked UNIVERSIDAD DE LIMA, and asking the driver to let you off at the Museo de Oro.

Cool Breeze in Barranco

Although a residential neighborhood and not immediately thought of as having many tourist sights, apart from the small but excellent Museo Pedro de Osma and Mario Testino’s MATE, the charming seaside district of Barranco is still one of the highlights of Lima. Its serenity and laid-back artiness is a welcome contrast to the untidy and seedy character of the rest of the city, and a stroll around the tranquil side streets of brightly colored bungalows is the best way to restore your sanity. It’s little wonder that artists and writers have long been drawn to Barranco. Beneath the poetically named wooden footbridge Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs) is a gentle passageway, La Bajada de Baños, which leads to a sea lookout and is lined with lovely, squat single-family houses, spindly trees, and stout cacti. During the daytime, the barrio is mellow and tropical-feeling, with sultry breezes coming in from the sea, but at night the area is transformed into one of Lima's most hedonistic hot spots, with locals and visitors flocking to the discos and watering holes here.

Archaeological Sites in Lima

Lima is hardly the epicenter of pre-Columbian Peru, and few visitors have more than the museums featuring ancient Peruvian cultures on their minds when they hit the capital. Surprisingly, there are a handful of huacas—adobe pyramids—that date to around A.D. 500 and earlier interspersed among the modern constructions of the city. The archaeological sites are junior examples of those found in northern Peru, near Chiclayo and Trujillo. If you’re not headed north, Lima’s huacas, which have small museums attached, are worth a visit.

In San Isidro is Huaca Huallamarca (also called Pan de Azúcar, or “Sugar Loaf”), at the corner of Avenida Nicolás de Rivera and Avenida El Rosario. The perhaps overzealously restored adobe temple of the Maranga Lima culture has several platforms and is frequently illuminated for special presentations. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm; admission is S/5 for adults and S/3 for students. Huaca Pucllana is a sacred pyramid, built during the 4th century and still undergoing excavation, in Miraflores at the corner of calles General Borgoño (Block 8) and Tarapacá, near Avenida Arequipa (http://huacapucllanamiraflores.pe; tel. 01/445-8695). It has a small park, a terrific restaurant and an artesanía gallery. From the pyramid’s top, you can see the roofs of this busy residential and business district. It’s open Wednesday through Monday from 9am to 5pm; admission is S/12 and S/6 for students. Guides are available in English or Spanish for S/20 per group, tours last 45 to 60 minutes. Additionally, night tours are offered from Wed–Sun from 7–10pm for S/15.

A “Magic” Water Park

One of Centro’s most colorful attractions, the fountains of the Circuito Mágico del Agua water park is a great place to take the kids and beat the summer heat. The best time to visit the 13 fountains shooting into the sky and a tunnel kids will love to carouse beneath is at night, when the spectacle of colorful effects and dancing waters set to music is delightful (shows at 7:15, 8:15, and 9:30pm). The centerpiece, the Magic Fountain, propels a stream 76m (250 ft.) into the air, a Guinness record. The water park (www.circuitomagicodelagua.com.pe; tel. 01/427-1993) is located at Parque de la Reserva (Av. Petit Thouars at Jr. Madre de Dios), in the Santa Beatriz district. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday, 3–10:30pm; admission is S/4, free for children under 4.

The Peruvian capital has the greatest variety of shopping in the country, from tiny boutiques to handicraft and antiques shops. Although shopping at markets in sierra villages and buying direct from artisans in the highlands or on the islands of Lake Titicaca are superior cultural experiences, don’t discount the fact that, unless you ship the loot home, you’ll most likely have to lug it back to Lima. In Lima, you can find traditional handicrafts from across Peru; prices are not usually that much higher, and the selection might be even better than in the regions where the items are made. One exception is fine alpaca goods, which are better purchased in the areas around Cusco, Titicaca, and Arequipa, both in terms of price and selection.

Miraflores is where most shoppers congregate, although there are also several outlets in Lima Centro and elsewhere in the city; Barranco is also growing as a shopping destination with many independent boutiques. Most shops are open daily from 9:30am to 12:30pm and 3 to 8pm.

Antiques & Jewelry

Look for silver jewelry and antiques along Avenida La Paz in Miraflores. In particular, there’s a little pedestrian-only passageway at Av. La Paz 646 that’s lined with well-stocked antiques shops, many with nice religious art, including La Línea del Tiempo (tel. 01/241-5461). Other Miraflores antiques shops include La Relique, Prado 187 (tel. 01/9647-2299) and Kerubin, Ugarte 233 (www.elkerubin.com; tel. 01/241-9191). Another great shop is La Casa Azul, Alfonso Ugarte 150 (tel. 01/446-6380), which specializes in colonial furniture, religious art, and other fantastic decorative pieces. The friendly owners can help arrange shipping and assist with getting export approval for especially valuable pieces.

Ilaria, Av. Larco 1325 in Miraflores (www.ilariainternational.com; tel. 01/444-2347), as well as in the Larcomar and Jockey Plaza shopping centers, is the granddaddy of Peruvian silver stores. With dozens of shops across the country, it’s tops in terms of design in elegant silver art objects, jewelry, and decorative items. Many designs are based on traditional, antique Peruvian designs.

Lorena Pestana at Av. Borgoño 770 (www.lorenapestana.pe; tel. 01/446-4033) spent time in a small Amazonian village studying weaving and handicraft techniques, as well as the ancestral art of the Chavin culture, all of which she uses as inspiration. Many of the creative pieces pair silver with organic materials such as feathers or seashells.

Additional platerías and joyerías (silver and jewelry shops) worth a visit are El Tupo, La Paz 553, Miraflores (www.eltupo.com.pe; tel. 01/444-1511) and in downtown Lima, Joyería Gold/Gems Perú, Pasaje Santa Rosa 119 (tel. 01/426-7267), which stocks Colombian emeralds and fashionable, inexpensive Italian steel jewelry.

Fashion

High-end designers are mostly found in independent storefronts in San Isidro, especially along Avenida Conquistadores, which is the closest thing Lima has to a Rodeo Drive. The sister of fashion photographer Mario, designer Giuliana Testino has a showroom at Av. Pérez Araníbar 2132 in San Isidro (www.giulianatestino.com; tel. 01/264-3874), where she sells items from some of her most recent collections of upscale women’s wear. Sumy Kujon’s creations, which often blend her Chinese-Peruvian heritage, are seen on runways from New York to Paris, but in Lima you can visit her at her San Isidro boutique, inside of a residential building at Av. Pardo y Aliaga 382 #301 (www.sumykujon.com; tel. 01/441-9106). In an adobe house from the 1900s at Atahualpa 479 in Miraflores, Alessandra Petersen (www.alessandrapetersen.com; tel. 01/242-5374) sells original dresses and jackets, mostly using natural materials such as Peruvian pima cotton, alpaca wool, and silk.

Shoemaker Botería Negreiros, at Calle Las Casas 041 in San Isidro (tel. 01/442-0599), makes and sells a variety of leather boots and sandals for women, including knee-high equestrian and Hiram Bingham–style boots. With notice, the retailer can even create custom shoes based on designs you pick. You can also find stylish, handmade shoes for men at La Zapateria, at 28 De Julio 206a in Barranco.

Handicrafts & Textiles

Miraflores is home to the lion’s share of Lima’s well-stocked shops, which overflow with handicrafts from around Peru, including weavings, ceramics, and silver. Several dozen large souvenir and handicrafts shops are clustered on and around Avenida Ricardo Palma (a good one is Artesanías Miraflores, no. 205) and on Avenida Petit Thouars (try Artesanía Expo Inti, no. 5495). Indigo, Av. El Bosque no. 260, San Isidro (www.galeriaindigo.com.pe; tel. 01/440-3099) is one of Lima’s top handicrafts and gift stores, with thoughtfully selected original designs from most regions across Peru. You’ll find items here that you won’t find in the big, multi-booth markets. Handicrafts shops elsewhere in Miraflores include Agua y Tierra, Diez Canseco 298 (tel. 01/445-6980), and Silvania Prints, Diez Canseco 378 (www.silvaniaperu.com; tel. 01/242-0667).

For fine alpaca goods, head to Kuna, Av. Larco 671, Miraflores (tel. 01/447-1623), one of the most original and highest-quality purveyors of all things alpaca, with excellent contemporary designs for men and women. Other locations include the Larcomar shopping mall, the Larco Herrera museum, and the Westin. Other alpaca shops include Alpaca Mon Repos, Centro Comercial Camino Real (tel. 01/221-5331); Alpaca Peru, Diez Canseco 315 (tel. 01/241-4175); and All Alpaca, Av. Schell 375 (tel. 01/427-4704). Also, be on the lookout for high-end alpaca knitware from Ayni (http://ayni.com.pe), which can be found in the MATE museum gift shop and elsewhere.

For artisan furniture and decorative art objects skillfully handcrafted from wood, don’t miss Artesanos Don Bosco, Av. San Martín 135 (www.artesanosdonbosco.org; tel. 01/265-8480), which recently opened a storefront/gallery in Barranco in a beautiful 19th-century casona. A nonprofit organization begun by an Italian priest in the Andes near Huaraz, in north-central Peru, these artisans (trained in poor, remote highlands communities) create extraordinary, unique pieces, with a tongue-and-groove technique and many with curved forms. Each piece is the work, start to finish, of a single artisan. The organization operates a charity promoting development efforts among indigenous communities throughout the Americas.

One of the largest shops, which stocks a huge range of Peruvian handicrafts from all over the country, is Peru Artcrafts in the Larcomar shopping mall, Malecón de la Reserva 610 (tel. 01/446-5429). Although it’s considerably more expensive than other shops (all prices are in dollars), it’s perhaps the best for last-minute and one-stop shopping. A giant artesanía market with dozens of stalls is the Mercado Indio, Av. Petit Thouars 5245 (at General Vidal), Miraflores. (In fact, almost all of Avenida Petit Thouars, from Ricardo Palma to Vidal, is lined with well-stocked handicrafts shops.) For most visitors to Lima, this is one-stop shopping for Peruvian handcrafts, arts, gifts, and souvenirs from around the country. Another good spot for handicrafts from around Peru, in Lima Centro, is the Santo Domingo artesanía arcades, across the street from the Santo Domingo convent on Conde de Superunda and Camaná.

In Barranco, the finest upscale purveyor of crafts and home furnishings is Dédalo, Saenz Peña 295 (tel. 01/477-0562). If you arrive here around midday and hungry, you’ll be happy to find a little cafe out back in the garden, serving salads, sandwiches, and tamales. A superb selection of folk art and handicrafts from across Peru can be found at Las Pallas, Cajamarca 212 (tel. 01/477-4629); the owner, a British woman named Mari Solari, has been collecting Peruvian folk art for 3 decades and displays it all in several rooms of her fine Barranco house.

Markets & Malls

Lima Centro’s crowded Mercado Central (Central Market), open daily from 8am to 5pm, is south of the Plaza Mayor, at the edge of Chinatown. You’ll find just about everything there, but you should take your wits and leave your valuables at home. The Feria Artesanal (Artisans’ Market, occasionally called the Mercado Indio, or Indian Market, but not to be confused with the Mercado Indio in Miraflores) has a wide variety of handicrafts of varying quality, but at lower prices than most tourist-oriented shops in Lima Centro or Miraflores (quality might also be a bit lower than at those shops). Haggling is a good idea. The large market is located on Avenida de la Marina (blocks 6–10) in Pueblo Libre and is open daily from noon to 8pm. Small handicrafts markets, open late to catch the bar and post-dinner crowds, are situated in the main squares in both Miraflores and Barranco.

One of my favorite markets in Lima is the fascinating and diverse Mercado de Surquillo (Avenida Paseo de la Republica at Ricardo Palma, Miraflores/Surquillo), where Limeños and many of the top chefs in town go to get fresh produce, seafood, meats, and a wide array of kitchen implements. It’s a terrific food-shopping and cultural experience, and in recent years, several really nice food stands have opened in and around the market.

Jockey Plaza Mall (tel. 01/437-4100) is a modern, American-style shopping mall—the biggest and best in Lima—with department stores, restaurants, movie theaters, a supermarket, and some 200 exclusive shops, plus bars and a food truck court. It’s next to the Jockey Club of Peru at Hipódromo de Monterrico, at the intersection of Javier Prado and Avenida Panamericana Sur in Surco. Most stores are open daily from 11am to 9pm. Centro Comercial Larcomar (tel. 01/445-7776) in Miraflores, along the malecón and Parque Salazar (near the Marriott hotel), is one of the swankiest malls in Lima, with a slew of restaurants, movie theaters, and upscale shops overlooking the ocean. It’s open daily from 10am to 8pm and is a weekend destination for many Limeños.

As the largest city in the country, with a population of immigrants from around the country and the most international flavor, Lima certainly has Peru's most varied nightlife scene. Whether you're into jazz, criollo, Latin, or rock music, you'll find it here. The best after-dark scenes are in Miraflores and particularly Barranco, which transforms from a sleepy artists' and writers' community during the day to party central at night. Although it has a number of high-octane clubs and discos, it also has some of the city's best peñas and bars, especially those with ocean views just past the Puente de los Suspiros, or "Bridge of Sighs."

Bars open at about 8pm, but discos and live-music clubs don't generally get started until 10pm or later. Many are open very late, until 3 or 4am or even later.

Theater & Performing Arts

Lima’s Teatro Municipal (tel. 01/632-1300), the pride of the local performing-arts scene and the primary locale for theater, ballet, opera, and symphony performances, burned to the ground in 1998 and sat vacant for years, but was finally resurrected in late 2010 (with updated fireproofing and anti-seismic technology). It was been restored in dramatic fashion, with Juan Diego Flórez performing The Barber of Seville. Once again it is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the municipal ballet (http://balletmunicipal.com). The 1940s-era Teatro Segura, Huancavelica 265 (tel. 01/426-7206), has mostly theater and dance performances, as well as opera and music concerts. Frequent cultural events, including films and music recitals, are held every week at the Centro Cultural Ricardo Palma, Larco Herrera 770, Miraflores (tel. 01/446-3959) and the British Council, Calle Alberto Lynch 110, San Isidro (tel. 01/221-7552). The Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano, at the corner of Angamos and Arequipa in Miraflores (tel. 01/446-0381), hosts theater, jazz, classical, and folk music. See the daily newspaper “El Comercio” (www.elcomercio.pe) for updated lists of live performing-arts events in Lima (in Spanish only).

Lima has a good theater scene, although, as one might expect, nearly all plays are in Spanish. Two of Lima’s best theaters are Teatro Canout, Av. Petit Thouars 4550, Miraflores (www.teatrocanout.pe; tel. 01/422-5373) and Teatro Auditorio Miraflores, Av. Larco 1036, Miraflores (tel. 01/447-9378). Tickets are available at the box offices.

Bars & Pubs

Barranco—The delightful area around the Puente de los Suspiros in Barranco has some of the coolest watering holes in Lima. There’s Santos, Jr. Zepita 203 (tel. 01/247-4609), a hip joint with an inventive decor, easygoing vibe, and slender balcony with views out to the ocean; the place is packed on weekend nights. Right across the bridge is the slick upscale bar and restaurant Picas, Bajada de Baños 340 (www.picas.com.pe; tel. 01/252-8095), serving great (if pricey) cocktails to a well-dressed crowd. Nearby, La Posada del Mirador, Pasaje La Ermita 104 (tel. 01/477-1120) occupies an old house overlooking the ocean in a verdant setting with indoor and outdoor garden seating. Posada del Angel, Av. Pedro de Osma 164 and 222 (tel. 01/247-0341) is a baroque cafe-bar with two locations on the same street and occasional live jazz and folk music. Ayahuasca, Prolongación San Martín 130 (tel. 9810-44745), is one of Barranco’s hottest—and biggest—nightspots, a stylish and usually packed bar in a stately colonial mansion with swank furnishings, art exhibits, and great cocktails, including an impressive array of pisco sours. Brewpub Barranco Beer Company, at Av. Almirante Miguel Grau 308 (www.barrancobeer.com; tel. 01/247-6211), just off the plaza, has a long list of artisanal beers, available in pints or flights, made in the back of the bar. Find more local craft beers nearby at Wick’s pub (tel. 01/247-4507; Av. Pedro de Osma 201) and the BarBarian Bar (tel. 01/987-261-942; Av. Pedro de Osma 144), both a short walk from Barranco’s plaza.

Lima Centro—There are two good pubs downtown owned by the same folks. One is Rincón Cervecero, a German-style bier hall, at Jr. de la Unión 1045 (www.rinconcervecero.com.pe; tel. 01/428-1422). The other, next door, is Estadio Fútbol Club, Jr. de la Unión 1047 (www.estadio.com.pe; tel. 01/428-8866), and strictly for fútbol fans: It’s a three-level bar (and disco on weekends) that amounts to a museum of the sport, and with dozens of big-screen TVs, it can get pretty rowdy when a big Peruvian or international game is on. Just beyond Lima Centro, in Pueblo Libre, is Antigua Taberna Queirolo, Av. San Martín 1090 (at Av. Vivanco) (www.antiguatabernaqueirolo.com; tel. 01/460-0441), a local institution. The atmospheric pisco bar and winery, with a long marble-topped bar, is one of the oldest in Peru, now into its second century. Taste one of the house piscos, accompanied by good snacks (piqueos) and more substantial Peruvian specialties such as rocoto relleno (stuffed hot pepper).

Miraflores and San Isidro—Huaringas, Bolognesi 472 (tel. 01/243-8151), the elegant upstairs at the restaurant Brujas de Cachiche, is one of the top spots in the country for a pisco sour, the national cocktail. The list of piscos is impressive, and the mixologists pour perfect variations, beginning with a coca or maracuyá sour. The very best cocktails in the city, also the most expensive, can be found at Carnaval (no phone), at Av. Pardo y Aliaga 662 in San Isidro, from star bartender Aarón Díaz. Other spots for top-notch cocktails are several restaurant bars, such Amaz, which uses Amazonian fruits and herbs to mix with pisco, or Central, with one of the most varied collections of liquor in the city. For craft beer, look no further than Lúpulo Draft Bar (www.lupulodraftbar.com; tel. 01/249-5268), at Av. Larco 421 near Parque Kennedy, though the beers of other artisanal Peruvian brewers are on its nine taps, too. It’s open until 3am on the weekends. Art Déco Lounge, Manuel Bonilla 227 (www.artdecolima.com; tel. 01/242-3969), a handsome conversion of an older home in Miraflores, takes its colorful and detailed Deco interiors very seriously, as it does the menu of cocktails and nicely selected wine list. La Esquina Winebar, Berlín 920 (www.laesquina.com.pe; tel. 01/242-2456) is a nice little wine bar/restaurant in a city that has very few of them. Murphy’s Irish Pub, Shell 619 (tel. 01/242-1212) is a longtime favorite drinking hole with a small menu of pub grub. Expect a pool table, darts, Guinness on tap, and Brits and Irishmen hoisting it. Murphy’s also hosts live music on Thursday.

Live Music Clubs

Barranco—My vote for best live-music club in Lima is La Noche, Bolognesi 307 (www.lanoche.com.pe; tel. 01/477-1012). Despite its prosaic name, this sprawling multilevel club feels like a swank treehouse, with a great stage and sound system and good bands every night that run the gamut of styles (although it’s frequently jazz), plus a hip, mixed crowd of Limeños and internationals. Monday-night jam sessions (no cover charge) are particularly good; otherwise, cover charges range from S/5 to S/40. There’s also a La Noche outpost in Lima Centro, at the corner of Jirón Camaná and Jirón Quilca. La Estación de Barranco, Pedro de Osma 112 (www.laestaciondebarranco.com; tel. 01/247-0344) is another nice place, housed in an old train station, with live music Tuesday through Saturday and a slightly more mature crowd (both locals and tourists); the music on tap is often criolla. Covers vary from S/5 to S/20. El Dragón, Av. Nicolás De Pierola 168 (www.eldragon.com.pe; tel. 01/221-4112), is a cool late-night music and dance spot with live reggae, Latin jazz, and electronic music, depending on the night. There’s not always a cover, but when there is it’s usually from S/20 to S/40.

Miraflores—A great spot for live jazz (as well as bossa nova and Afro-Peruvian evenings) is Jazz Zone, Av. La Paz 656, Pasaje El Suche (www.jazzzoneperu.com; tel. 01/241-8139); covers from S/10 to S/35. Cocodrilo Verde, Francisca de Paula 226 (www.cocodriloverde.com; tel. 01/445-7583), has jazz on Wednesday and a variable program of live music on weekends, with cover charges ranging from S/10 to S/30.

Peñas

The classic Limeño night outing is a peña, a performance at a criolla music club that quite often inspires rousing vocal and dance participation. A visit to Lima really isn’t complete until you’ve seen one.

Barranco—Peña del Carajo!, Calle Catalino Miranda 158 (www.delcarajo.com.pe; tel. 01/247-7023), is a cool peña with good live music, percussion, and dance shows Tuesday through Saturday starting at 10pm. Covers range from S/20 to S/40. La Candelaria, Bolognesi 292 (www.lacandelariaperu.com; tel. 01/247-1314), is a comfortable club celebrating Peruvian folklore. It’s open Friday and Saturday from 9pm onward; the cover is normally around S/40. Don Porfirio, Manuel Segura 115 (tel. 01/477-3119), is a bit more downscale than most peñas and preferred by locals, an amiable, hidden-away spot invites participation in its good-quality music-and-dance shows. Cover is generally S/20.

Lima Centro—Brisas del Titicaca, Jr. Tarapaca 168, the first block of Avenida Brasil, near Plaza Bolognesi (www.brisasdeltiticaca.com; tel. 01/332-1901), is a cultural institution featuring noches folclóricas—indigenous music-and-dance shows—that are some of the finest in Lima. Shows are Tuesday and Wednesday at 8pm, Thursday at 9:15pm, and Friday and Saturday at 10:15pm. You can even catch a dance show with lunch, Friday and Saturday from noon to 6pm. Covers range from S/40 to S/70.

Miraflores—Sachún, Av. del Ejército 657 (tel. 01/441-4465), is favored by tourists and middle-class Limeños who aren’t shy about participating with their feet and vocal cords. The cover ranges from S/25 to S/50.

Dance Clubs

Many of Lima’s discos are predominantly young and wild affairs. Cover charges range from S/15 to S/50. The main drags in Barranco, Avenida Grau and Pasaje Sánchez Carrión (a pedestrian alley off the main square), are lined with raucous clubs that go late into the evening and annoy Barranco residents.

One popular disco is Lima Bar (no phone) in the Larcomar shopping center, Malecón de la Reserva 610 in Miraflores, with great sea views, and dance music ranging from electronica to the Latin specialty, pachanga. On the weekends they’ll stay open until 6am. Also check out Bizarro, at Calle Francisco De Paula Camino 220 in Miraflores (www.bizarrobar.com; tel. 01/446-3508), another late-night dance spot with top DJs that attracts pretty 20- to 30-somethings with money to spare on bottle service. At Deja-Vu, Av. Grau 294 (www.dejavu.com.pe; tel. 01/247-6989), the decor is based on TV commercials, and “waitress shows” tease horny patrons. It’s a dancefest from Monday to Saturday; the music trips from techno to trance. El New Kitsch, Bolognesi 743, Barranco (tel. 01/947-298-157) is one of Lima’s hottest bars—literally, sometimes it turns into a sweatbox—with over-the-top decor and recorded tunes that range from 1970s and 1980s pop to Latin and techno.

Gay & Lesbian

Although Peru as a whole remains fervently Catholic, and many gay and lesbian Peruvians feel constricted in the expression of their lifestyle, Lima is the most progressive city in the country, with the most facilities and resources for gays and lesbians, including a significant number of nightclubs. Among the most popular is Downtown Vale Todo, Pasaje los Pinos 160, Miraflores (www.mundovaletodo.com; tel. 01/444-6433), which has closed down a couple of times but always seem to open back up. It puts on occasional shows with strippers. Then there’s Legandaris, Calle Berlin 363 in Miraflores (tel. 01/446-3435), with drag shows and strippers. La Cueva, Av. Aviación 2514, San Borja (tel. 01/224-3731), is a lively disco with an eclectic soundtrack and large dance floor. All are generally open Wednesday through Saturday; cover charges range from S/15 to S/40.

Cinema

Most foreign movies in Lima are shown in their original language with subtitles. Commercial movie houses worth checking out include Multicines Larcomar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores (tel. 01/446-7336); Cinerama El Pacífico, Av. José Pardo 121, near the roundabout at Parque Central, Miraflores (tel. 01/243-0541); and Cinemark Perú Jockey Plaza, Av. Javier Prado 4200 (tel. 01/435-9262). Art and classic films are shown at the Filmoteca de Lima in the Lima Museo de Arte, Paseo Colón 125, Lima Cercado (tel. 01/423-4732), and El Cinematógrafo, Pérez Roca 196, Barranco (tel. 01/477-1961). Most theaters in the suburbs cost more than the ones in Lima Centro, but they’re more modern and better equipped. Several have matinee prices and discounts on Tuesday. For a list of films subtituladas (with subtitles), consult the Friday edition of “El Comercio” (www.elcomercio.pe). The term doblada means “dubbed.” Tickets run from S/12 to S/30.

Casinos

Peruvians are big on casinos, and many of the larger upscale hotels in Lima have casinos attached. Some of the better ones are the Stellaris Casino at the JW Marriott Hotel; Fiesta Casino at the Thunderbird Hotel at Av. Alcanfores 475, Miraflores (www.fiesta-casino.pe; tel. 01/616-3131); and Sheraton Hotel & Casino, Paseo de la República 170, Centro (tel. 01/433-3320). Most casinos are open Monday through Thursday from 5pm to 2am, and Friday through Saturday from 5pm to 5am.