Lima Travel Guide

Lima's Plaza de Armas, also called Plaza Mayor, is the birthplace of the Peruvian capital: on 18 January 1535 Pizarro laid out the city here, and the square and its radiating streets survive in that layout today. On 28 July 1821 San Martin proclaimed Peru's independence from this square. It is the core of the Historic Centre of Lima, a World Heritage Site inscribed in 1988 and extended in 1991. Each side of the square has something. The Government Palace on the north side, also called the House of Pizarro, takes a whole block with an intense yellow neocolonial facade built in 1938 over Pizarro's original 1535 residence. The Archbishop's Palace of 1924 on the east side carries the most elaborate carved wooden balconies in the historic centre. The Municipal Palace sits on the southeast. The bronze fountain at the centre was cast in 1650 and is Lima's oldest public sculpture as well as the oldest fountain in the Americas still standing in its original location. The Cathedral of Lima to the east was begun in 1535, rebuilt after the earthquakes of 1687 and 1746, and took its present form by 1797, with twin towers about 40 metres high. Inside are fourteen side chapels, gilded colonial altarpieces and a seventeenth-century carved wooden choir stall, among the finest colonial woodwork in the Americas. The most interesting story here is a correction. For nearly a century the church displayed the wrong mummy. In 1977 workers found a lead box in the crypt containing Pizarro's skull and the hilt of his sword, with an inscription identifying him. DNA analysis completed in 1984 now puts the remains at roughly a ninety per cent chance of being authentic, meeting Peru's legal standard for verification. They lie in a glass case beside the main altar. The two best moments of the day are around midday and after dark. The guard change at the Government Palace starts with a trumpet call at about 11:45 and runs thirty to forty minutes with infantry, cavalry and a military band, free but needing a spot fifteen to thirty minutes early. After dark the facades are lit and the colonial arcades plus the fountain give Lima's classic image. Half a block away the Convent of San Francisco holds catacombs where some 25,000 remains are stacked in geometric patterns.

The Cathedral of Lima rises on the main square of Peru's capital, founded in 1535 as one of the most important religious buildings of the Andes during the Spanish colonial era. Rebuilt after earthquakes, it blends Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical elements, and shelters the remains of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Inside, an intricately carved wooden pulpit, a silver-adorned altar and a quiet cloister speak of more than four centuries of faith and power in the viceregal capital, and the church forms part of Lima's UNESCO World Heritage historic centre.

San Martin Plaza is located in the historic center of Lima, capital of Peru, serving as one of the citys most important urban squares, named after General Jose de San Martin, the liberator of Argentina and South America, commemorating his outstanding contributions to Perus independence movement. The plaza is surrounded by multiple historic buildings including exquisite colonial-era architecture and modern civic facilities, presenting Limas urban transformation from colonial times to modernity. At the center stands an equestrian bronze statue of General San Martin, serving as the visual focal point and gathering place for citizens leisure. The plaza offers convenient transportation and is an ideal starting point for exploring Limas historic center, within walking distance to Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, and the Government Palace. The atmosphere is relaxed, often featuring street performers and local residents strolling, making it an open space to experience Limas urban life rhythm and South American historical culture, and an excellent spot for photographers to capture urban humanity.

The Larco Museum sits in the Pueblo Libre district of Lima, founded in 1926 by Rafael Larco Hoyle as a showcase of pre-Columbian Peruvian art. Housed in an 18th-century viceroyal mansion surrounded by flowering gardens, its collections are celebrated for Moche ceramics, gold work and the renowned erotic pottery. Arranged by cultural sequence, the displays let visitors read the rise and fall of Andean civilizations across millennia through individual objects. The museum remains one of the finest places in the Americas to grasp the depth and artistry of Peru's indigenous heritage.

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco de Lima (1674) is among the grandest Baroque buildings of Lima's historic center. Famous for its vast catacombs, gilded wooden pulpit and a library of rare books, it was the religious and scholarly heart of colonial Lima.

Huaca Pucllana is a large adobe pyramid complex built by the Lima culture (c. 200–700 AD) in the heart of Miraflores, Lima — once a ceremonial and administrative center. Rising amid modern blocks, it offers night-lit guided tours and a top-floor restaurant, a window onto pre-Inca civilization in the city.