Most families fly into Lima on the way to Cusco and Machu Picchu and rush straight through. Give it a day or two instead, because Peru’s capital, perched on cliffs above the Pacific and home to the best food in South America, makes a fine, easy start to a Peru trip with kids.
The key is to base in Miraflores, the safe, green, clifftop district above the ocean. It is walkable and full of parks, restaurants and shops, with paragliders drifting overhead. From there you can stroll the clifftop Malecón, let the kids run the lawns of the Parque del Amor, and after dark visit the Magic Water Circuit, a park of illuminated, dancing, walk through fountains that children adore.
Add a morning in the grand colonial historic center, where the eerie catacombs beneath the San Francisco monastery are a memorable thrill for older kids, and a taste of the ancient world at Pachacamac’s pyramids or the Larco Museum’s gold, and you have a rich little stop.
Getting around means rideshare and walking, since the traffic is heavy and there is no tourist metro. Come in the southern summer, December to April, for the sunniest weather. Give Lima a day or two, eat incredibly well, then fly up to the Andes for the real heart of Peru.
Want the full plan? Lima With Kids. Ready to book it? Work with me.
Share this:
Discover more from Adventures We Seek
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.