Attractions
Museo Larco
In culturally and historically rich Lima, there is no shortage of museums to visit to
gain a better understanding of the city’s significance on the rest of Peru. One of the
most popular museums in Lima is the Museo Larco, a privately owned museum of
pre-Columbian art. Housed in an 18th century vice-royal building built over a 7th
century pre-Columbian pyramid, the museum’s galleries chronicle an overview of
4,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. Just a preview of what is available on
exhibit are extraordinary collections of gold, silver and textiles, as well as mummies
that show off the different ways ancient cultures, including the Incas, preserved their
dead. A large part of the museum is also dedicated to erotic art from the pre-
Columbian era. Art from this time period often incorporated detailed
representations of genitalia, and men and women participating in sexual acts that
involved beings from other worlds.
Omuseolarco.orgHuaca Pucllana
There’s no need to trek into the Andes to see vestiges
of Peru’s ancient civilisations. Dotted around urban
Lima neighbourhoods are a large number of
historical ruins, known locally as huacas. Most
are generally fenced off (the extent of the
preservation done by Peru) but one of the more
tourist friendly huacas is the Pucllana Temple, or
Huaca Pucllana, in the upscale Miraflores
district. Huaca Pucllana is said to have been built
around the height of Lima’s cultural history,
around 500AD. Seven staggered platforms form
this great adobe and clay pyramid that served as an
important ceremonial and administrative centre.
Much of the site has been restored but excavations are an
on-going activity that still uncovers ancient artefacts. For a
romantic evening out, there’s an on-site restaurant where dinner
comes with beautiful views of the 1,500-year-old ruins. Restaurant Huaca Pucllana
stays open long after visiting hours are over.
Oresthuacapucllana.comCLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT Cathedral de Lima,
Monastery of San Francisco,
Museo Larco, Huaca
PucllanaPHOTOGRAPHS: CARLOS IBARRA, LUIS GAMERO, GIHAN TUBBENPlaza de Armas of Lima
First timers to Lima must visit the
birthplace of the city at the
UNESCO World Heritage Site,
Plaza de Armas of Lima (Plaza
Mayor). It is from the plaza’s
square that the city grew
outward and the centre is where
many historic moments have
taken place. A charming water
fountain marks the middle of the
plaza and surrounding it are
historically important and iconic
colonial-style buildings: the
Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima,
Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal
Palace, and the Palace of the Union.
OLima District 15001Monastery of San Francisco
Just a block northeast from Plaza de Armas
of Lima is the Monastery of San Francisco.
The site contains a church and monastery
that were blessed in 1673 but only
completed a century later in 1774. The bright
yellow Franciscan church is most known for
its library that contains 25,000 antique
texts. Some notable books in the library
include the first Spanish dictionary published
by the Royal Spanish Academy, and a 1571 –
1572 edition of the Holy Bible. Walk through
the library and you’ll also be able to view an
interesting localised painting of The Last
Supper by Diego de la Puente that depicts
the meal using typical Peruvian ingredients.
The bone-lined catacombs are also
noteworthy. Discovered in 1943, the
catacombs contain thousands of skulls and
bones and there is an estimated 25,000
bodies laid to rest there.
Omuseocatacumbas.com