Lima is a huge city. It has over 11 million inhabitants now, which means it is as populated as Delhi. It certainly has a lot to offer, but tourists will mainly want to focus on these four things:

• Peruvian cuisine
• Lima’s cultural offer
• Lima’s monuments and architecture
• Lima’s museums

Of course, I will elaborate. Ready? Let’s go!

First, let’s understand Peru a little

Peru is an incredibly diverse country. As a matter of fact, it has 28 out of the 32 different climates available on the planet! That may be too much information to describe (and to absorb!), so it suffices to say it has three large regions: the coast, near the Pacific Ocean, the Andes cordillera and the Amazon jungle.

Peruvian coast is arid. It does not receive much rain throughout the year. Why not? Because the Andes mountains do not allow that to happen. They block any clouds that may be willing to come from the Amazon basin to the coast. The Andes, in turn, are huge. You may be thinking they are just a chain of mountains, but no. Truth is the Andes are eight chains of mountains in Peru (and I specify in Peru because the Andes cross all South America, from Argentina to Venezuela, and the subdivision of mountains varies across each country). Within the empty spaces between a chain of mountains and the other, there are all kinds of valleys. Some are hotter, some are colder, some are highlands, some are not that high. It is easier to understand now why Peru has so many weathers, does it not? And I have not told you about the Amazon jungle yet! What should you know about it? That it is hot and very rainy most of the year. Despite it is called the Amazon, it does not only include Amazon’s river basin. There are many other rivers in Peru, and not all of them discharge in the Amazon.

Now that you can understand the country a little better, it gets clear why Peru has been chosen the world’s top culinary destination for seven years in a row. The country is so heterogeneous that you can literally grow ANY plant in its soil. As a consequence, Peruvian cuisine is really diverse. Now guess what!? There is good news! You do not need to travel through the country to be able to enjoy the very best of Peruvian cuisine. Lima has already gathered it all for you.

Enjoying Peruvian cuisine in Lima

While in Lima, please eat. There are plenty of restaurants for you to choose, as cheap or expensive as you want. What dishes should you try? Let me give you a few suggestions below:

Cebiche (also spelled ceviche, but it is the same)
It is raw fish marinated with onions, cilantro and come chilli, but don’t let your eyes misguide you. Peruvian lemons are very strong, so their juice cooks the fish in front of your eyes in a matter of minutes.

Causa rellena
It is a sort of potato “sandwich”. Mashed potatoes as base, something in the middle, like chicken or octopus or fish, and more mashed potatoes on top. Do not forget it was Peru that gave potatoes to mankind, so make sure you try this. Its taste is unbelievable.

Papa a la huancaína
Cooked potatoes served with a sauce made from milk, cheese, cookies and chilli. Delicious!

Pachamanca
The pachamanca is an ancient meal. It existed even before the Incas. People bury a hole in the ground, place hot stones inside and then the food on top. Then, they bury it all, as if it was an oven. A couple of hours later, they dig again to take the food out and eat. You will not believe it.

Juane
Rice, hen, cilantro and a few other ingredients wrapped in banana plant leaves. This dish is native from the Amazon.

Arroz chaufa
This is a unique fusion of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine. The short version is that it is a Peruvian version of fried rice.

Chicha
Chicha is a drink made from corn, and you will mainly find it in two varieties: “morada” (purple) and “de jora” (which may be slightly alcoholic). Chicha is an ancestral drink too.

Those are just a few to get you started. Peruvian cuisine can offer you over a hundred different dishes to try. All food lovers must place Peru in their to-do list.

Lima’s Cultural Offer

Peruvian cultural offer concentrates in Lima. There are many concerts, theatre plays and exhibitions every day. While in Lima, you would like to take a look at those offers. It will make your experience certainly more fulfilling.

There is a public park you will not want to miss, either: “Parque de la Reserva”. The entrance is about 1.5 USD (about 114 Indian Rupees), and you will enjoy a beautiful show of water and lights. Needless to say, go after the sunset.

Lima’s Monuments and Architecture

When Spaniards conquered South America, they made Lima the capital of its colonies. That is why it was called “The City of Kings”. As such, they brought to Lima the very best in architecture and artistic trends of the Modern Era. This makes the centre of Lima a must during your visit. While in Lima, head over there and get ready to be astonished by its architecture. If you visit the churches, you will be able to see a lot of religious artworks too. I suggest visiting “San Francisco”, “Santo Domingo” and “San Marcelo” churches. There are a lot more, but those three should be a great way to start. What is best is that they are at walking distance from one another.

For more rustic views of the city, head to Barranco. Barranco is the Bohemian district of Lima, so you will not only be able to see its cosy atmosphere, but enjoy a few drinks there too. There are many cultural options to enjoy both in Barranco and Miraflores. What’s Miraflores? A very commercial and tourist-friendly district in Lima.

Lima’s Museums

Finally, let me close this article telling you about Lima museums. Lima concentrates a large share of the cultural offer Peru has, so if you visit the museums you will be able to get a more comprehensive idea of what happened in Peru during its over six thousand years of history. I will suggest you two here: the Art Museum (“Museo de Arte”) and the History Museum (officially known as “Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú”). If you liked the experience, then ask for other museums to the locals. Lima has over forty museums to visit, provided you have enough time.

Oh! And do not forget the zoo. Peru is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world too, so if you visit “Parque de las Leyendas”, you will be able to take a look at animals you will never be able to see but in photographs.

Note: This is a guest article by Alonso Castro, owner of Like My Travel. “Like My Travel” is a collective travel blog that gathers writers from everywhere in the world. Travellers share their stories so other travellers can get fresh ideas for their trips. Check it out!