Lima by taxi

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru, is in the valleys of the ChillÓn, Rímac and Lurín rivers, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as The City of Kings. It was the most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, and after the Peruvian War of Independence, was made the capital of the republic.

Twenty-eight million people live in Peru, and 8 million of them live in Lima, making it a busy, bustling city, that's not always easy to get around. One in seven cars is a taxi so there's never a problem flagging one down and they are quite inexpensive. Be sure to agree on a price before you get in. They vary in size from small four-door compacts, (usually Daewoo Ticos) to large vans, and if you want a real adventure, you can hire one and drive yourself around.

Your first stop should be Plaza de Armas square in the middle of the city. It has a bronze horse statue and fountain and is bordered by a cathedral, archbishop's palace, government palace (which is the president's home), cafes and restaurants. The changing of the guard has taken place every day since 1937, and you get a free display of soldiers in colourful uniforms and plumed hats as they goosestep their change of shift.

Bar Cordano, next door to the presidential palace, is the city's oldest bar and is where people flock for their famous ham and pork sandwiches.

The San Francisco monastery is home to the city's order of Franciscan monks and final resting place to more than 70,000 of their parishioners in catacombs, which were dug in 1546. It is not known how many levels there are.

The church was completed in 1674. Noted for its 17th-century architecture, it is a prime example of Spanish Neoclassicism. It has been restored to the original baroque/Moorish style.

There is an impressive collection of art, and the refectory displays a large 1697 mural of the Last Supper by a Flemish Jesuit priest. The dish of the last supper is guinea pig and the Devil is standing next to Judas. The world-renowned library has thousands of historical and antique books and documents.

Cerro San Cristobal is 400m above sea level and is adorned with a massive cross. It is one of Lima's most famous landmarks and attracts many people every year, particularly those on an Easter pilgrimage. The hill is close to the Rimac River and bore witness to the 16th-century confrontations between the indigenous populations and the Spanish. The wooden cross was erected by the conquistador, Francisco Pizarro.

Plaza San Martin on Avenida Nicolás de Piérola is one of Lima's largest and most beautiful squares. It was opened in 1921 in honour of Peru's first century of independence. The monument to José de San Martin was obviously influenced by French architecture.

Location

Lima, the capital of Peru.

Cost

Kumuka Worldwide has 10-day tours of Peru, which include a visit to Lima, accommodation and most meals. They are $2210 per person twin share.

Aerolineas Argentinas has flights to Lima.

Fares from:

Sydney $2160
Melbourne and Brisbane $2360
Adelaide $2460
Perth $2930

Valid for sale and travel until November 30, 2008 and for travel between March 1 to November, 2008. Conditions apply.

Prices correct at October 16, 2008.

For further information

Kumuka Worldwide
Level 4, 46-48 York Street
Sydney 2000
Ph: 1300 667 277 or 02 9279 0491
www.kumuka.com
adventuretours@kumuka.com

Peru
It is recommended travellers to Peru see their doctor at least six weeks before departure as there are specific vaccinations recommended. Other health precautions and preventions may also be recommended and are best discussed with your doctor. For further information visit www.welltogo.com.au.

Check out our celebrity Getaway blog or our photo gallery for more Getaway adventure pics.

User comments

I am originally from Lima, and I felt really dissapointed and offended when I watch this report. It shows a lack of preparation and research about what Lima has to offer to tourists. There may be some safety precautions to take as in any big city in a developing country, but why highlight that? What about Caral, the most ancient city in the Americas (2600BC), the gold museum, Miraflores Barranco and Larcomar night life. Next time take your taxi to a cevicheria (typical restaurant) and discover the best cuisine in America (considered one of the top 5 in the world).

A very slanted and biased report. There are so many good things to do, to see, to eat, to drink, in LIMA let alone Peru. How about running another segment to show Larco Mar, Mira Flores Park, Beautiful Baranco. How about some of the great restaurants Jose Antonio, La Ma,Cala etc etc. What about telling us about the national drink of Peru the Pisco Sour. Get with it Guys and get a balanced view on life we are not all would be taxi drivers.

I can tell that the report that people from Getaway showed last week was very poor. Lima has many interesting places to visit like Larcomar in Miraflores. Most tourists go to visit such a nice place near the beach with great restaurants. Also, we have San Isidro with very modern hotels and Barranco with pubs to have a drink with your mates and much more. Think about this guys. Next time make more effort with your job.

I was very disappointed with Getaway after watching the Lima by Taxi segment. It was a very slanted and narrow view of Lima, showing the worst of Lima, it would seem the aim of the programme was not to promote tourism to Lima, but rather scare people from going there. I have recently been back to Lima and I can tell you this is a city with much to offer, Lima can boast the best dining in Latin America, so much so that Gourmet tours are now part of the Tourism delights Lima has to offer. Others here have also commented on Lima attractions in Miraflores, San Isidro, Surco and even the historic Centre of Lima which is magnificently lighten at night. During the Day Lima has excellent colonial and Inca ruins to visit. And for those who want to enjoy Lima with the family Lima has some of the best Waterfall displays (according to Guiness, the largest of its kind). I therefore urge Getaway to go back to Lima and do a proper reporting about Lima, I am and as someone commented doing a Tourist segment of Sydney and only showing Redfern would do Sydney a disappointing disservice.

i was very disappointed about what was shown about Lima. Couldn't your reporter find anything more interesting that the slums of Lima? What about Miraflores, San Isidro, the museums, especially the famous one known as the Gold Museum, the beautifully carved balconies all around the centre of Lima. I hope that some other reporter goes back and shows some of the much more interesting things to see in Lima. We also got lots of very old settlements and burial places from antiquity, I mean from before the Incas. Please rectify this wrong just done to this beautiful city.

Would just like to say was very dissapointed in the potrayal of Lima in last nights show. I have booked to go for 6 weeks at the end of the year with my partner and are trying to persuade his brother and partner to join us. I have travelled to Peru in the past and have been trying to get everyone excited about it and all I can say is after watching last nights show everyone is reconsidering their travel options and people are now concerned for our saftey.

Would you promote Sydney by showing the streets of Waterloo and Redfern? how about the streets of Plumpton and Rooty Hill? Because that's what your episode of Getaway has done for Lima, Peru. If you think I'm being discriminatory, think again. Lima has a wonderful history and you managed to cover about 5 seconds of it by showing the "Plaza de Armas". But then you decided to head to the most dangerous parts of town and tell the world that you needed a body guard with a gun in order to feel safe about the camera gear you were carrying. You guys are a joke. If you want to scare people away from Peru, you are doing a good job. For those who are interested in going to Peru without dealing with the dangers that we all know from some of the areas in our own cities here in Australia, check out Wikipedia for places such as Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco and Surquillo. No place is safe, but Lima is not all about people who want to steal your cameras or play soccer.