Where to stay in Lima? Get to know the best areas
The Peruvian capital is a beautiful city, with a lot of history and numerous places of interest to visit.
If you are planning to visit it soon and want to know where to sleep in Lima, here we are going to mention the best areas where you can stay in this great city.
What should you know about Lima?
Lima is a beautiful coastal city, which is among the largest cities in Latin America and also among the most populated cities in the world.
It is very interesting to visit, since, in addition to having become a modern metropolis, it also has an important Historical Center.
Its beauty lies both in its old buildings, as well as in its coast and its green spaces. In addition to being an ideal place to enjoy excellent gastronomy.
Its weather is quite unusual, since daily it presents high percentages of humidity, but the rains are extremely scarce. On average, throughout the year, temperatures vary between 15 °C (59 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F), so we can say that it has mostly warm weather.
The best areas to stay in Lima
The city of Lima is made up of 43 districts, each with its own characteristics.
But if you want to know which is the best area to stay in Lima, we must highlight the following districts; Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro, Historic Center, Pueblo Libre, El Callao and Santiago de Surco.
These districts are considered to be the best areas where to stay in Lima due to its location, its proximity to tourist spots, its architectural beauty, its environment, among other things.
Each one has qualities to offer and we are going to mention them below.
1. Miraflores:
Miraflores is one of the most beautiful districts of the city, and among other things, this makes many travelers consider it the best area to stay in Lima.
It is an extremely modern and attractive area, it has a great hotel and gastronomic offer, and it is also one of the safest places in Lima.
It is a place very frequented by travelers, but also by the people of Lima themselves, because it is a very popular sector of the city.
Among the most beautiful places you can visit in Miraflores, is the Parque del Amor, a large green space that is very pleasant to visit, which presents the most beautiful sunset that you can appreciate in Lima.
Also, you can visit Larcomar, a huge shopping center with open spaces, located on a cliff from where you get a spectacular view.
Here you will also have the opportunity to visit the Sala Museo Oro de Perú, which consists of a collection of 167 pieces of gold and other metals belonging to the pre-Inca cultures that inhabited the north of the country. All these pieces are a clear example of pre-Columbian art with great symbolic and sacred value.
In Miraflores you can also visit the Huaca Pucllana ruins. In ancient times, the members of the Lima culture used this space as a ceremonial site.
And perhaps, the protagonist of this coastal district is its Malecón, along which you can take a walk, take incredible photographs and enjoy practicing nautical and extreme sports such as surfing or paragliding. The Miraflores Malecón is an ideal place to enjoy being outdoors.
If you are looking for adventure on your trip to Lima, we must tell you that Guru Explorers offers the possibility of taking you to do Paratrike in Costa Verde, so you can have a unique experience full of adrenaline, in one of the most beautiful places in the city.
As we mentioned, Miraflores offers a great hotel offer. It has sites of various categories and price ranges.
If you want to know what are the best options where to stay in Lima, especially in Miraflores, our recommendations are:
- Hotel Ferre de Ville, single room US$60 per person.
- Hotel del Pilar, single room US$75 per person.
- Hotel Casa Andina Standard Benavides, single room US$90 per person.
2. Barranco:
Continuing with the options on where to stay in Lima, another place that we recommend is the district of Barranco, which is located to the south of the district of Miraflores.
This area is also very nice and touristy and is characterized mainly by its bohemian style, since for a long time, Barranco was the meeting point for the most important creative people in the city.
From the beginning of the 20th century until the end of the 1960s, this was the meeting place for many musicians, artists, photographers, poets and playwrights.
Today, that artistic mystique continues to be preserved. Something that characterizes this area is live music, murals with street art paintings and the several art galleries that can be visited.
One of the main attractions of Barranco is its hectic nightlife, this is the ideal place if you are looking to party.
Among the best places you can visit in this district is La Feria Unión de Barranco, a market that has different stalls from local designers. Also in this district you will find numerous boutique shops.
Another of the typical tourist attractions to visit in Barranco is the Bridge of Sighs, a 44-meter-long bridge that popularly acquired this name, since it was supposed to be a romantic meeting place for lovers.
The Plaza de Armas de Barranco is also another interesting point to visit in this district, due to the fact that it is surrounded by history and important colonial buildings.
Barranco is also an ideal area to enjoy excellent gastronomy. In this district you will find bars and restaurants of all kinds. And in order to have an experience that allows you to discover the best typical Peruvian dishes, Guru Explorers offers the Tour in Barranco with the Classics of Peruvian Gastronomy.
Through this tour, you will visit different gastronomic shops, and in each of them you will be able to taste magnificent dishes and typical drinks of Peru, and you will also have the opportunity to learn how to prepare the famous ceviche and the emblematic pisco sour, the country's national drink. It is the ideal way to not stay wanting to try anything!
Here are some recommendations for hotels to stay in Barranco:
- Lima Wari Hotel Boutique, rooms from US$36 to US$126.
- Hotel María Luisa, rooms from US$60 to US$97.
- Casa Falleri Boutique Hotel, rooms from US$72 to US$109.
3. San Isidro:
When we ask ourselves where to sleep in Lima, we must also take into account the district from San Isidro, one of the most luxurious and exclusive areas of the city.
As this is a district with many parks and squares, it is one of the most recommended for those traveling as a family with children. In addition, it is one of the safest areas of Lima.
Also, if you are looking for a high-class hotel, this is the ideal place to find it, since it has several international chains where you can stay.
Another characteristic of this district is that it is a financial area, where most of the office towers of important national and foreign companies are located.
San Isidro is also characterized by having beautiful shops, such as boutique stores, gourmet coffee shops, famous restaurants, shopping centers and art galleries.
One of the places you cannot miss in San Isidro is the Parque del Olivar, a beautiful forest that has a plantation of more than 1,600 olive trees, which are from the colonial era, since they are more than 450 years old. And this large number of trees is also a refuge for approximately 22 species of birds. This is a very suitable place for a family outing.
Another of the important sites to visit in this district is the Huaca Huallamarca archaeological site, an ancient religious center dating from 200 BC. It is shaped like a pyramid, it consists of three levels and is made of adobe blocks.
Among the hotels we recommend to stay in San Isidro, we can mention:
- Hotel Rivera Inn, the cost per room varies between US$62 and US$127.
- Daniel's Apart Hotel, the cost per room varies between US$73 and US$107.
- Hotel Melia Lima, the cost per room varies between US$147 and US$181.
4. Historic Center of Lima:
Another of the recommended areas to stay in Lima is, undoubtedly, its Historic Center. This district is full of important places to visit, and since 1991 it has been considered a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Wherever you walk, you will find beautiful, well-preserved colonial buildings, mostly with beautiful carved wooden balconies. It is an ideal area for those who are fond of culture, history and architecture.
Nightlife is not exactly a quality of this district, but here you can find a wide variety of hotels with affordable prices.
And if, in addition to history, you are interested in getting to know the typical Peruvian gastronomy, we must mention that Guru Explorers has a tour specially dedicated to combining history and gastronomy in the best way.
Through the "Street Food" and Old Taverns in the Historic Center of Lima" you will have the opportunity to visit on a walking tour the most important sites of this emblematic area of Lima and also you will taste typical food and drinks from Peru, in different gastronomic places.
Among the tourist points that you can visit through this tour we find Chinatown, the Central Market, the Government Palace, the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral of Lima, the Plaza San Martín and the Basilica of San Francisco.
And of course, you will enjoy typical dishes such as; bread with chicharrón, chijaukay chicken, chaufa rice, churros, local fruits, stuffed causa, anticuchos, among other delicacies.
One of the nice hotels where you can stay in the Historic Center is:
- Hotel Diamond Lima, depending on the type of room, the costs vary between US$73 and US$119.
5. Pueblo Libre:
This district is also a recommended area to stay in the Peruvian capital. And it is also another great option for those traveling with the family, since it is a very quiet area.
In addition, this is the district that has the largest number of green spaces and parks in Lima, of course, this is something that makes it highly recommended if you are traveling with children.
The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru is also another tourist spot that can be visited in Pueblo Libre. An important fact about this place is that the museum works in an old mansion, which used to be the home of the liberator Simón Bolívar.
Also, another interesting place to visit in this district is the Larco Museum, where you can see a large collection of pre-Columbian works of art.
A good lodging option in this district is:
- Hotel Ayenda Casa Aika, costs per room vary between US$35 and US$66.
6. El Callao:
El Callao is an area where you can find some accommodations in a not-so-high price range.
This district is a port area and right there you can find a variety of bars, restaurants and shops.
Among the activities that can be done in El Callao, we must mention; go scuba diving, practice water sports or go on excursions to the islands that are off the coast, where sea lions and various species of birds live.
It should be noted that El Callao is not one of the safest areas of the city, but it is also an area very popular with tourists, since the Jorge Chávez International Airport is located here. That is why we recommend staying in this district, especially if you have to go to the airport at night.
In fact, the airport itself has a hotel where you can stay:
- Hotel Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport, depending on the type of room, prices vary between US$193 and US$266.
7. Santiago de Surco:
The district of Santiago de Surco was founded in 1929 and is another of the recommended areas to stay in Lima. Here, the hotel offer is widely varied, since we can find everything from cheap hostels to 5-star hotels.
One of the most beautiful places we found in this district is the Parque de la Amistad. This park is a place very popular and visited by tourists. Here you will find a large green space, a lake with pedal boats and a steam train of more than 90 years, which you can get on for a tour of the park.
The Plaza Mayor of Santiago de Surco and the Santiago Apóstol Church are other interesting tourist spots that can be visited in this district.
One of the most beautiful hotels you can find here is:
- Hotel Hilton Garden Inn Lima Surco, prices per room vary between US$152 and US$280.
Conclusions
Through this article we were able to notice that there are several recommended areas in Lima to stay, with different characteristics and for all tastes.
The choice of one of them will depend on what you are interested in visiting, the budget you have and the activities you want to do.
Whatever the recommended area you choose to sleep in Lima, be sure to visit this fabulous city.
And don't forget that, if you want to know the best of Lima and its surroundings, at Guru Explorers we have a variety of tours to offer you that can make your stay in this city a great adventure. To know them in detail and to be able to organize an incredible trip, do not hesitate to get in contact with one of our advisers.