Lima Historic Centre

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre Of Lima (1988, Extended 1991). The Grid Laid Out By Pizarro In 1535, With Colonial Churches, Wooden Balconies And The Convent Of San Francisco And Its Bone Lined Catacombs. The Capital Of One Of The World'S Great Food Cultures. · Lima, Lima

The Historic Centre of Lima is the colonial heart of Peru's capital, laid out on a grid by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and listed by UNESCO in 1988. It is built around the Plaza Mayor, with the Cathedral, the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace with its carved cedar balconies, and it holds the Convent of San Francisco and its bone-lined catacombs, the Torre Tagle palace and the old Barrio Chino. It is also where Lima eats best: cevicherias, chifa and cheap set lunches sit on every block. The honest picture is a crowded, noisy and sometimes grubby district, grey under the garua mist from June to November, and a real place for pickpockets and phone snatching. Most travellers stay in Miraflores or Barranco and come here for a half day. It repays that, if you stay in the patrolled core, keep your phone away and go in daylight. The plazas and many exteriors cost nothing, so the day can be cheap, and a set lunch here costs far less than in Miraflores. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water and leave big bags at your hotel, since the lanes are busy and the pavements are narrow.

Colonial core of the capital around the Plaza Mayor, with the cathedral, the Government Palace and the Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs a few blocks away, Lima, Lima, Peru

The plazas and streets are open all day and free. Churches, the Cathedral and the museums keep their own hours, usually from the morning to the late afternoon, and many close on one weekday or on public holidays. The catacombs are visited on guided tours only. The guard ceremony at the Government Palace is around midday and free. Confirm each opening before you go.

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