|
Located virtually at the center of Peru’s 1,610-mile (2600km) coastline, Lima is usually the starting point for any trip to the country, but it also offers excellent opportunities in its own right to explore and discover.
Conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded Lima in 1935, two years after the Spanish invasion. The historic city center has fine examples of colonial architecture. The highlight is the
Plaza de Armas which includes the neo-classic Palacio de Gobierno, where the sitting president usually lives, the recently renovated Roman Catholic Cathedral and its museum of religious art, and the Municipal Building.
There are also other religious buildings from the colonial era worth visiting, including the Santo Domingo Convent and San Francisco Monastery, the latter of which houses a catacombs museum. The best museum for pre-Columbian artifacts is the Rafael Larco Archaeological Museum in Pueblo Libre, while good examples of colonial art can be found at the Art Museum of Lima and Museum of the Central Reserve Bank in the city center.
The most worthwhile ruins to visit in the Lima area are in the pre-Inca citadel at Pachacamac some 19 miles (30km) south.
Lima is renowned for its nightlife, especially in Barranco, where clubs offer live typical music both from the Andes and the coast as well as salsa for dancing.
Finally, Lima is becoming famous for its exquisite Peruvian cuisine, whose variety and mix of influences makes it unique in the Americas.
|
|
