After our intense Inca Trail hike and a couple of days spent relaxing in Cusco, it was time for us to spend a bit of time relaxing on the beach in beautiful Lima, Peru.  We, unfortunately, didn’t have much time in the area and wanted to capitalize on every second we had in the area.  We asked tips from a few folks we knew that lived in the area, but also got tips from several of you guys (THANK YOU for your suggestions.)  And all of your suggestions paid off!  Here are our favorite spots, based on our experiences.

Things to Do / Places to Visit

• Miraflores and/or Barracno – We heard time and time again that these two areas would be our favorite, but we ended up spending all of our time in Miraflores!  It was an absolutely stunning area and we saw no reason to leave.  The area felt safe (obviously watching with a careful eye), was filled with kind individuals, great food, and beautiful scenery.  I highly recommend visiting Miraflores if you’re not already planning to stay in the area.
• Walk Along the Beach – It sounds simple, and it is, but the coast is incredibly stunning and is not to be missed.  With the tsunami wall keeping the city safe and gorgeous, it also makes for slightly difficult migration.  Make sure that you plan to take a map with you so that you know the appropriate route to get to the coast – it’s surprisingly difficult to get to, but it’s wonderful once you get there!
• Take Surfing Lessons – While areas of the beach are known for laying out and relaxing, the Miraflores area is know for surfing.  With light winds and casual waves near the coast, further out being windier and known for experts, there are several groups to take lessons from on the spot.  Plan for at least two hours for lessons.  The water may be cold, but wet suits or swim shirts were typically provided.  Hang ten duuuude!

Where to Eat

Unfortunately, I don’t have many places to recommend over others because the food everywhere was so good!  We ate at chains like Tanta and Popular, and small, unknown spots near the center of Miraflores, and the food was fantastic everywhere!  Below is a mixture of recommendations from where we ate and recommendations from a friend that lived there or awhile.  All are worth checking out. 🙂

• Canta Rana – “Located in Barranco this has become the trendy spot amongst local Limeños. Hands down my favorite ceviche in Lima. FYI that the line can get long at the Peruvian lunch hour – 1/130pm and that their oysters are supposed to be awesome too.” (From my friend – thanks, Becca! – that sounded amazing, but we couldn’t make it. #sadface)
• Popular in Miraflores – It’s 90% embarrassing that we went here, but we wanted a Cusquena and a view, both of which were over-achieved here.  There is bar-type seating over-looking the ocean from the top of the cliff.  And yes, this is in a totally Americanized mall, but seated at an open window with the breeze flowing in, it’s the perfect spot to sit for an hour or two and relax.
• Huaringas – “Probably the best pisco sour. Can be quite ex-pat heavy. Make a reservation for large groups on the weekend. Located in Miraflores only a few blocks from the ocean.” (From Becca again… though I will agree!)  I’ll add, we found fantastic pisco drinks in a number of spots by sitting at the bar and becoming friends with the bartender.  Just like many spots in America, we found that you can usually trust the opinions of bartenders when it comes to beverages. 🙂
• Ceviche – Unless your dietary restrictions tell you otherwise, then you should be trying the ceviche almost everywhere.  Most places, it’s incredibly fresh and delicious!  (Remember that while ceviche is traditionally made with fish, that isn’t necessary.  We had a FANTASTIC mushroom ceviche that I’d eat every day of the week, so vegetarians are in luck!

Where to Stay

• Arawi Hotel Lima – Located just a few blocks from the beach, in the heart of Miraflores, Arawi Hotel was the perfect spot for our stay.  The people there are kind, most speak perfect English, and even the complimentary breakfast was delicious – we loved eating on their little patio in the restaurant area, feeling secluded from it all.  An added perk that we didn’t even realize until we were there was the noon check out – genius!  We could rest and relax in the luxurious, incredibly comfortable rooms and still leave our bags at the hotel all day before heading to the airport for a late night flight.

Please note that we did receive a discount for our stay in return for my honest feedback and review.  Though all opinions expressed are my own, as we did, genuinely love our stay at Arawi.  Thank you so much for your support!

Pictures Galore

If you can’t tell, we pretty much ate and relaxed on the beach in Lima.  But the pictures, all unedited, still don’t capture how beautiful this city really is – to the point that Ray was looking at real estate options. 😉

Right down the block from our hotel

After welcoming us to the hotel after our late night flight (where the airline lost my luggage… HUGE shout-out to the hotel’s driver for staying way over time due to our travel issues.)

 

The path we took to get to the beach.  There are tennis, paddle tennis, and swimming clubs right along the coast that were regularly being utilized this Easter Sunday.

Part of the complimentary breakfast at our hotel – the food was incredibly fresh.

Our view from Popular – See, it was worth it to go the restaurant in the mall especially for our… Cusquenas! (Seen Below)

 

Not kidding – if someone knows where to find these in the States, please share!

Delicious ceviche everywhere!  We regularly went with their “catch of the day.”

As an added perk, because we stayed at our hotel on Easter Sunday, they gifted us delicious chocolate eggs filled with mini marshmallows!  You know as well as I do that mine was gone in a hurry.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

If you’ve been to Lima, what are some of your favorite spots?

What are your favorite beach destinations to visit?

Create a great life!