Lima - PLAY
Table of Contents
Stories by Kerrie-Anne Riles and photos by Kerrie-Anne and Alan Riles (unless otherwise indicated)
Magic Water Park
You can spend a “pleasant” afternoon wandering through the acres of water features of the Magic Water Park in Lima. BUT it is when the sun goes down and night falls that the true magic comes to life.
Circuito Mágico del Agua –Magic Water Circuit– is a circuit of 13 water features built in the Parque de la Reserva. Opened in 2007 the Magic Water Circuit was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest water fountain complex in a public park.
Each water feature or fountain is different with computer-timed changes as the water dances, bathed in colored lights. There are also three interactive water areas. One is strictly only for the littlies less than 11 years old where they can run through the water as it spurts intermittently from the ground. The bigger adult version makes them act just like littlies too! A wet time is had by all.
A tunnel of colored water arches is the most popular interactive attraction. It is called the arch of surprises… the surprise? You can walk through the tunnel of water arches keeping quite dry but every now and again it spurts at you amidst screams of delight! The highlight of the night is the spectacular Fuente de Fantasia show. Galloping horses, dancers presenting national dances and the history of Peru are all projected onto a wall of water sprays with laser lights accompanied by traditional Peruvian music. A truly inspiring visual and sensory evening.
Many tour buses will take you here. But the cheapest way is to take a taxi (about S/10 each way). Entry fee is S/4.
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday (and holidays) from 3:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Address: Puerta 5, Parque de la Reserva, Av. Petit Thouars, Cercado de Lima 15046
Swimming with Sea Lions
The Palomino Islands are about an hour by boat, six miles off the coast from Callao, north of Lima. Here you will be greeted by thousands of curious sea lions. Donning wetsuits against the extremely cold waters of the Humboldt Current, you can spend about forty exciting minutes swimming with these highly animated creatures that are just as excited as you are. The most exhilarating experience you will have in your entire holiday!
Our cruise company was Ecocruseros https://ecocruceros.com/en/home-start/ Address: Av. Coronel Bolognesi La Punta Beach about forty minutes by taxi from hotels in Miraflores or San Isidro.
When
Every day.
Monday to Friday: 11.30am
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10.00am and 2.00pm.
Learn Peruvian Cooking
Learn Peruvian cooking from renowned professional chef Hector Aguilar Valle. First you will visit a food market for a guided tour and purchase some of the ingredients, then learn to cook authentic Peruvian dishes. During this class you will not just “add ingredients”, you will learn some of the special techniques and knife skills needed to create impressive Peruvian fare. There are four menus to choose from including many popular Peruvian dishes with a vegetarian option. Hector also adapted a couple of the recipes for our gluten free participants and they were still delicious. Then the best part… you get to eat what you have just cooked.
https://peruviancookingclasses.com
Learn Spanish
Lima is a very popular place to learn Spanish. Peruwayna Spanish School has a number of different class options including private and group lessons with optional extras like evening salsa dancing or adventure activities at the weekend, and the free morning “tastes of Peru”. Students can also choose to live with local Peruvian families, enabling additional language practice.
Address: Office #603, Av Jose Larco 743, Miraflores 15074, Peru
Play Golf
The centerpiece of the residential area of San Isidro is the verdant expanse of the Lima Country Club. A members only club, you need to be signed in or be guests at the Country Club Hotel to play there.
Also in the complex are two swimming pools, eight tennis courts and two restaurants.
Shop at Lacomar
Built into the side of the cliff, Lacomar is hidden from view beneath the Malecón in Miraflores. The most popular destination for shopping for tourist, you will find a range of international shops. You will also find many dining options most with an al fresco dining area with 180° views of the Pacific Ocean and the surfers below.
Browse at the Markets
By day Parque Kennedy is a sprawling green expanse in the middle of the commercial area of Miraflores. By night the centre of the park is transformed into a treasure trove of Peruvian souvenirs and nick nacks where we purchased two traditional hand painted Pucara bulls for our grandson’s wedding.
Food and souvenir markets are also popular. There are many regular food supermarkets to choose from such as Vivanda or Wongs but for a cheaper, more interesting and fun alternative try one of the markets such as Market Surquillo No1. Located in the district of Surquillo it is a few blocks walk from Parque Kennedy in Miraflores. This is where the locals shop and you will find all manor of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, many you may never have seen before. Around the market hall there is hundreds of small stores selling varieties of kitchen needs etc.
In 2010 a gastronomic boulevard was opened in Calle Narcisco de la Colina next to the Surquillo market where locals and tourists can enjoy Peruvian street meals.
You could easily spend several hours wandering Surquillo markets on your own or go guided by someone who knows the locals like chef Hector as part of the preparation for your cooking class.
There are several artisan markets located in Av. Petit Thouars between blocks 52 and 55. Here you will find cheap mass product tourist souvenirs, but also a wide selection of genuine crafts produced by skilled craftsmen such as leather goods and weaving. The most common weaving you will find are goods made of Alpaca raised in the Andes. Baby Alpaca is the softest and most expensive.
Visit Pre-Inca archeological sights
You don’t need to travel great distances from Lima to archeological sights. There are many sights right in Lima. Huacas are ancient places of religious significance.
Huaca Huallamarca was built between 200 BC and 200AD and is situated in a park surrounded by modern buildings of San Isidro
Av. Nicolás de Ribera 201 cruce con la Av. El Rosario.
Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores was built around 500 AD
The largest of the Huacas in Lima, Huaca Pucllana has undergone major restoration. There is a small museum and a fine dining restaurant situated to take advantage of the night lit pyramid for an unusual evening dining experience.
Address: Calle General Borgoño cuadra 8, Miraflores 15074
Visit Museo Larco
Museo Larco is a privately owned museum where you can see many examples of Incan and pre-Columbian artifacts. Rafael Larco Herrera began the collection in 1923. The museum was founded in 1926 and it now comprises of 30000 carefully catalogued pieces
The Masterpieces of ancient Peru tour is run daily. In the garden to the rear of the museum there is a popular restaurant for lunch.
If you are feeling a little risqué, you can include a visit to the Erotic Gallery to see a major collection of pre-Columbian erotic art that offers an insight into ancient Peruvian sexuality.
Address: Av. Simón Bolivar 1515, Pueblo Libre 15084
Free activities: Stroll along the Malecón
A stroll along the Malecón on the cliffs above the beach in Miraflores will give you spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. You can watch the parasailing from the cliffs and visit the Park of Love and “The Kiss” sculpture.
“Dar un Paseo” in the Olive Park
Declared a Peruvian National Monument in 1969, the 57- acre Bosque de Olivar–the olive forest– has over 1,600 olive trees, their age revealed by their contorted trunks. Descendants of plants brought from Seville, Spain, by Antonio Ribera in 1560, they were originally part of the olive grove owned by Count San Isidro in the heart of the residential district that now bears his name.
In the shade of the 400-year- old olive trees, you will find children playing, elderly folk “dar un paseo” (take a walk), and pregnant ladies and new brides posing against the perfect foil of the ancient gnarled trunks. If you’re quick you might even see grey squirrels, camouflaged as they scurry up the twisted grey trunks.
Binoculars in hand, bird watchers will find a haven. Peru has the second greatest diversity of bird species in the world and the olive park attracts over 30 of these.
Admire the view from El Christo
El Christo del Pacifico
Driving up the steep twisting road to the highest point in Lima to El Christo del Pacifico, you will be rewarded by a spectacular view over the Pacific Ocean and Lima.
Built in 2011, the 37metre (121 ft) statue of Christ was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
Chocolate Museum
In a free visit to the Chocolate museum you can discover the history of cacao and chocolate and learn the whole process from harvest to chocolate production.
Classes are also available for chocolate making, truffles and “bean to bar” workshop. (Fees apply).
https://www.chocomuseo.com/peru/miraflores/free-museum/
Address: Jr Carabaya 191-195, Circado de Lima Lima 101
Kerrie-Anne Riles is an Australian freelance travel writer who lived in Peru for two and a half years. She has lived in seven different countries and travels extensively. Her travel writing includes traveling to unusual places and quirky travel experiences, luxury travel, especially cruising and train trips, and gluten free cooking and restaurants.
Member: International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance, International Travel Writers Alliance, TravMedia