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USEFUL INFO ​

Visitor Information
A 24-hour tourist information booth, iPerú (tel. 01/574-8000), operates in the international terminal at the Jorge Chávez International Airport. Other offices are in Miraflores, at the Larcomar shopping mall, Malecón de la Reserva 610, stand 14 (tel. 01/4445-9400), open daily from 12pm to 8pm; and in San Isidro at Jorge Basadre 610 (tel. 01/421-1627), open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 6:30pm. The Municipal Oficina de Información Turística is located at Pasaje Los Escribanos 145, just off the Plaza de Armas, in Lima Centro (tel. 01/427-6080); it's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

One of the best private agencies for arrangements and city tours, as well as general information, is Fertur Perú, Jr. Junín 211 and Azángaro 105, within the Hotel España (tel. 01/427-1958). Another excellent spot for information and advice, particularly on outdoor and adventure travel in Peru, such as trekking, mountaineering, and rafting, is the South American Explorers, Piura 135, Miraflores (tel. 01/445-3306; www.samexplo.org). The organization is legendary among veteran South American travelers, and it's not a bad idea to become a member ($50) before traveling so that you can take advantage of its resources (you can also join on the spot). The clubhouse in Lima maintains a great library of maps, books, trail information, trip reports, and storage facilities. The Lima clubhouse is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 5pm (Wed until 8pm), and Saturday from 9:30am to 1pm. There are also clubhouses in Cusco and Quito, Ecuador.

City Layout
Lima is an exceedingly diffuse city, complicated to get around. The city center, known as Lima Centro, abuts the Río Rímac and the Rímac district across the river. The city beyond central Lima is a warren of ill-defined neighborhoods; most visitors are likely to set foot in 0nly San Isidro, Miraflores, and Barranco, which hug the coast and the circuit of urban beaches leading to the so-called "Costa Verde."

Major thoroughfares leading from the city center to outer neighborhoods are Avenida Benavides (to Callao); Avenida Brasil (to Pueblo Libre); Avenida Arequipa, Avenida Tacna, and Avenida Garcilaso de la Vega (to San Isidro and Miraflores); Paseo de la República (also known as Vía Expresa) and Avenida Panamá (to Miraflores and Barranco); and Avenida Panamericana Sur (to San Borja and south of Lima).

The Neighborhoods in Brief

Lima Centro
Lima Centro is the historic heart of the city, where the Spaniards built the country's capital in colonial fashion. It has repeatedly suffered from earthquakes, fires, and neglect, so although it was once the continent's most important colonial city, stunning examples of the original town are less prevalent than one might expect. Much of Lima Centro is dirty, unsafe, crowded, and chaotic, although city officials are finally getting to much-needed restoration of the remaining historic buildings and have drastically upgraded police presence in the city center (making it just about as safe as anywhere in the city during the day).

The great majority of visitors stay in outer suburbs rather than Lima Centro; most hotels are small hostales (inns) aimed at budget travelers and backpackers. The absolute heart of the Lima Centro is the Plaza de Armas, site of La Catedral (cathedral) and government palaces, and nearly all the colonial mansions and churches of interest are within walking distance of the square. Several of Lima's top museums are in Pueblo Libre, a couple kilometers southwest of Lima Centro, while San Borja, a couple kilometers directly south of Lima Centro, holds two of the finest collections in all of Peru.

Miraflores & San Isidro
San Isidro and Miraflores, the most exclusive residential and commercial neighborhoods where most tourist hotels are located, are farther south (5km-8km/3-5 miles) toward the coast. These districts are now the commercial heart of the city, having usurped that title from Lima Centro some years ago. San Isidro holds many of the city's top luxury hotels and a slew of offices and shopping malls. Miraflores is the focus of most travelers' visits to Lima; it contains the greatest number and variety of hotels, bars, and restaurants, as well as shopping outlets. A number of the city's finest hotels are along the malecón (boulevard) in Miraflores. Although San Isidro and Miraflores are middle-class neighborhoods, both are congested and not entirely free of crime.

Barranco
Barranco, several kilometers farther out along the ocean, is a tranquil former seaside village that is the city's coolest and most relaxed district, now known primarily for its nightlife. It is where you'll find several of Lima's best restaurants, bars, and live-music spots, frequented by Limeños and visitors alike.

Cheers!

 

GETING THERE ​

Lima is the gateway for most international arrivals to Peru.

By Plane
All flights from North America and Europe arrive at Lima's Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez (tel. 01/575-0912), located 16km (10 miles) west of the city center. Lima is connected by air with all major cities in Peru; there are regular flights to Ayacucho, Cusco, Puerto Maldonado, Juliaca, Arequipa, Tacna, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Pucallpa, Iquitos, Tarapoto, and Piura.

The major domestic airlines are

AeroCondor tel. 305/531-1407 in the U.S., or 01/614-6000; www.aerocondor.com.pe

LanPeru tel. 212/582-3250 in the U.S., or 01/213-8300; www.lanperu.com

Taca Peru tel. 01/213-7000; www.grupotaca.com

The airport has a tourist information booth (in the international terminal 0nly), two 24-hour currency-exchange windows, three banks, ATMs, a post office, and car-rental desks, including Avis (tel. 01/575-1637, ext. 4155; www.avis.com), Budget (tel. 01/575-1674; www.budget.com), and Hertz (tel. 01/575-1390; www.hertz.com). The tourist information booth can help with hotel reservations. The arrival and departure terminals can be very congested, especially when long lines form to pay departure taxes, when a number of flights arrive at once, and early in the morning when many flights depart Lima for Cusco. Be very mindful of your luggage and other belongings at all times. To get through large groups of travelers and relatives all hovering about, you might need to forget about being polite and simply push your way through the crowd.

Domestic departures require payment of a S/.21 ($6.04) exit tax; for international departures, the tax is S/. $31). You must take your boarding pass to one of the booths in either terminal and stand in line to pay and receive a stamp indicating payment (in cash 0nly) before proceeding to the departures area. Remember to reconfirm your flight at least 48 hours in advance and arrive at the airport with ample time before your flight. Flights are frequently overbooked, and passengers who have not reconfirmed their flights or who arrive later than (usually) 45 minutes before scheduled departure risk being bumped from the flight. Flights to Cusco are especially popular; make your reservations as far in advance as possible. Also check to be sure that you will have enough time to make your connecting flight if coming from overseas, and that you haven't been sold a charter flight inadvertently (American Airlines did this to me, and I was forced to stay over a day in Lima until I could get a regular flight the next day).

To get from the airport to Lima -- either downtown or to suburbs such as Miraflores, San Isidro, and Barranco (the sites of most tourist hotels) -- you can take a taxi or private bus. When you exit with your luggage, you will immediately be besieged with taxi offers; the ones nearest the door are invariably the most expensive. Taxis inside the security area at the international arrivals terminal charge around $20 to Miraflores and $15 to downtown Lima (Lima Centro). You can try bargaining or go just beyond the security area, where prices drop to about $10 to Miraflores and $8 to Lima Centro. The Urbanito Airport shuttle service (tel. 01/814-6932) delivers passengers to the doors of their hotels. Stop by the desk in the international terminal; buses to downtown ($6) and Miraflores and San Isidro ($8) leave every half-hour or so. The shuttle stops at the hotel of each passenger; at peak hours, if there are many passengers, this might not be the fastest way from the airport. Unless you're alone, it's also probably not the cheapest. Call a day ahead to arrange a pickup for your return to the airport. Private limousine taxis (taxis ejecutivos, or remises) also have desks in the airport; their fares range from $27 to $45 round-trip.

By Bus
Lima is connected by bus to neighboring countries and all major cities in Peru. No central bus terminal exists, however; the multitude of bus companies serving various regions of the country all have terminals in Lima, making bus arrivals and departures exceedingly confusing for most travelers. Many terminals are located downtown, although several companies have their bases in the suburbs. Most bus terminals have nasty reputations for thievery and general unpleasantness; your best bet is to grab your things and hop into a cab pronto.

Of the dozens of bus companies servicing the capital and points around the country, the largest with frequent service in and out of Lima are Ormeño, Av. Javier Prado Este 1059, San Isidro (tel. 01/472-1710), Av. Carlos Zavala 177 (tel. 01/427-5679), and reservations (tel. 01/472-5000; www.grupo-ormeno.com); Cruz del Sur, Av. Javier Prado Este 1101, La Victoria (tel. 01/225-6163), and Jr. Quilca (tel. 01/424-1005; www.cruzdelsur.com.pe); Civa, Av. Paseo de la República 575 (tel. 01/332-5236; www.civa.com.pe); and Oltursa, Av. Aramburu 1160, San Isidro (tel. 01/475-8559).

By Train
Lima is the starting point of the Ferrocarril Central Railroad, the highest railway in the world (up to 4,781m/15,682 ft.) and one of the Americas' most impressive train trips. The storied passenger train to and from Huancayo through the Central Highlands travels round-trip 0nly once a month from April to October (and returns to Lima 3 days later); a schedule is posted at --------- Link Deleted ---------. The train departs downtown Lima at the Desamparados station, Jr. Ancash 201 (tel. 01/441-2222), just behind the Government Palace. A taxi from the station to your downtown hotel costs S/.4; to Miraflores, it costs S/.10.

Cheers!

 

Getting Around ​

Navigating Lima is a complicated and time-consuming task, made difficult by the city's sprawling character (many of the best hotels and restaurants are far from downtown, spread among three or more residential neighborhoods), heavy traffic and pollution, and a chaotic network of confusing and crowded colectivos and unregulated taxis.

By Taxi
Taxis hailed on the street are a reasonable and relatively quick way to get around in Lima. However, taxis are wholly unregulated by the government: All anyone has to do to become a taxi driver is get his hands on a vehicle -- of any size and condition, although most are tiny Daewoo "Ticos" -- and plunk a cheap TAXI sticker inside the windshield. Then he is free to charge whatever he thinks he can get -- with no meters, no laws, and nobody to answer to except the free market.

One has to counsel visitors to be a bit wary taking taxis in Lima, even though I personally have never had problems greater than a dispute over a fare. (If you're not fluent in Spanish, and even if you are but you have an obviously non-Peruvian appearance, be prepared to negotiate fares.) Limeños tell enough stories of theft and even the occasional violent crime in unregistered cabs to make hailing one on the street inadvisable for older visitors or for those with little command of Spanish or experience traveling in Latin America. If you hail a taxi on the street, taxi drivers themselves have told me, try to pick out older drivers; many contend that young punks are almost wholly responsible for taxi crime. If the issue of getting into quasi-official cabs makes you nervous, by all means call a registered company from your hotel or restaurant -- especially at night (even though the fare can be twice as much).

Registered, reputable taxi companies -- the safest option -- include Taxi Amigo (tel. 01/349-0177), Taxi Móvil (tel. 01/422-6890), Taxi Line (tel. 01/330-2795), and Taxi Seguro (tel. 01/275-2020). Whether you call or hail a taxi, you'll need to establish a price beforehand -- be prepared to bargain. Most fares range from $2 to $5. From Miraflores to downtown, expect to pay S/8 to S/10 ($2.25-$2.85); from Miraflores to San Isidro, about S/5 ($1.50); from San Isidro to downtown, S/5 to S/7 ($1.50-$2); from Miraflores to Museo de Oro, S/8 to S/10 ($2.25-$2.85); and from Miraflores to Barranco, S/5 ($1.50).

Lima Taxis: The Runaround--Besides the issue of safety, there's another cause for concern when getting in a taxi in Lima: The drivers very often don't know where the heck they're going. They are notoriously ignorant of the city they drive in. I tried to get one in Miraflores to take me to Barranco, the next neighborhood along the coast (5 miles away) and the most popular nightlife destination in Lima. The driver looked at me blankly. "You've never heard of Barranco?" I asked, incredulous. "Perhaps you can lead me?" he asked. Yeah, and perhaps you can pay me. Time and time again in Lima, I, a resident of Connecticut, have had to give directions. The reason for such unfamiliarity is that many taxi drivers are newly arrived immigrants from mountain villages and other cities across Peru. They come to Lima, rent someone's vehicle and a TAXI sticker, and become taxi drivers without so much as a glance at a map. That's another reason to call an official cab.

By Bus
Local buses are of two general types: micros (large buses) and combis or colectivos (minibuses or vans). Long-distance buses are usually called ómnibuses. For most visitors, micros and combis constitute an adventure and a challenge: Both types are quite crowded, have a reputation for pickpockets, and can be hailed at any place along the street without regard to bus stops. You pay a cobrador (money collector), who is usually hanging out the door barking destinations at would-be travelers rather than the driver. Micros and combis are very inexpensive means of transportation. Routes are more or less identified by signs with street names placed in the windshield, making many trips confusing for those unfamiliar with Lima. Some do nothing more than race up and down long avenues (for example, TODO AREQUIPA means it travels the length of Av. Arequipa). For assistance, ask a local for help; most Limeños know the incredibly complex bus system surprisingly well. Although they sometimes seem to hurtle down the street, because they make so many stops, trips from the outer suburbs to downtown can be quite slow. Most micros and combis cost S/1 (30¢), and slightly more after midnight and on Sunday and holidays. When you want to get off, shout baja (getting off) or esquina (at the corner).

From Lima Centro to Miraflores, look for buses with signs in the windows indicating LARCO-SCHELL-MIRAFLORES (or some combination therein). From Miraflores to downtown Lima, you should hop on a bus headed along WILSON/TACNA. Buses to Barranco have signs that read CHORILLOS/HUAYLAS.

By Foot
Lima can be navigated by foot 0nly a neighborhood at a time (and even then, congestion and pollution strongly discourage much walking). Lima Centro and Barranco are best seen by foot, and, although large, Miraflores is also walkable. Between neighborhoods, however, a taxi or combi is essential.

Cheers!

 

I am from USA and will be in Lima april 1 to april 9. Anyone want to show me Lima? I will be staying in Miraflores.

 

Tigre. Thanks for the information about the cell phones. Sorry you will not be in Lima on those dates. Can you or anyone else recommend a safe, reliable taxi driver that speaks a little english?

 

RAYDOC,

Yeah, if the hotel you are plannig to stay at is not providing a pick up service from the airport just get a cab from the airport services. Avoid the ones outside yelling everybody taxi taxi taxi taxi....awful!

English speaker taxi driver?
Nop, this is very unlikely unless you do arrangements with a high-end hotel in Lima.

Ah! just drop a line while in Lima. We can give you few tips if needed.

Have fun!

TONY

 

Tony,

My hotel has arranged my airport pickup. I am more interested in a reliable, safe taxi driver during my stay in Lima. I speak enough Spanish to manage and can understand and read it very good. I will email you when I am in Lima. This is my 1st trip to Peru. I have been to Columbia and Dominican Republic several times. I will post a detailed report on this forum after my trip.

Raydoc007

 

Thanks for the comprehensive and useful post.

 

There are other places like San Borja, I don´t like Lince, but I prefer my hotel in Miraflores.