Summary: Founded by the Spanish in 1535 Lima has long been the capital of Peru. Some of its colonial elegance may have faded over the centuries, but there’s still a lot to keep you satisfied. Most of those who are embarking on a Peruvian adventure must pass this way, yet the wise traveler will spend at least a couple of days getting to know the city. During our brief stay we grabbed the local colectivos (small mini-buses which costs about 50 cents for the half-hour ride from Miraflores to El Centro) and took in the historic downtown. There are enough fascinating churches, museums, shops, restaurants and cafes there to keep you plenty busy. Lima has garnered a recent reputation for being a unsafe town and, while there have been reports of pick-pockets and sneak-thieves, if you keep your eyes and ears open and your jewelry and stash of cash back in your hotel safe, your stay should be incident-free. Of its many barrios, Barranco, the artist quarter and upscale Miraflores are the two recommended for visitors to explore. There’s a reason that most tourists stay in Miraflores—there are plenty of good, clean and worry-free accommodations and the neighborhood’s shops, stores, bakeries, money changing agencies, restaurants and cafes can take care of all a traveler’s needs. We stopped for two nights at the Hotel Antigua Miraflores, a quaint and comfortable inn which makes a perfect city base. It’s an historic turn-of-the-century Spanish mansion which has been converted into a lovely, reasonably priced accommodation with nice rooms, a gracious staff and an excellent restaurant which features expertly prepared Peruvian fusion cuisine. In its cozy bar, Alembic, I met up with chef Carla Davila and chef mixologist Juan Jose who spoke with me about the attractions of Lima and pleasures of Peru’s national drink, Pisco. For information on the Hotel Antigua Miraflores go to AntiguaMiraflores.com.
