Lima currently has an extension of 2,664.67 km² (total area of the province) through the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers and the desert between them. Many commercial establishments such as pharmacies, supermarkets and stores serve the public 24 hours a day and some operate without closing throughout the year. This is especially observed in the Services area (supermarkets, gas stations, banks, shopping centers, restaurants, etc.). Lima has large and modern shopping centers, approximately 15 throughout Metropolitan Lima, including the province of Callao.
There is a wide range of nightlife centers such as bars and discos, spread around bohemian districts such as Barranco, Miraflores and residential and business areas such as San Isidro, San Borja, La Molina, Santiago de Surco. It is worth highlighting the economic boom that emerging sectors of the city are having and where an important commercial movement is generated, among them the Los Olivos District (north of Lima) where commercial activity has the record of highest sales in the capital exceeding long to traditional districts such as Miraflores or San Isidro, or the particular case of the District of San Juan de Lurigancho, which with its 898,443 residents has an export that exceeds some regions of the interior, which is an indicator of progress that is already the subject of analysis by many economists and attraction for many investors.
Museums
The city of Lima concentrates the largest number of museums in the whole country, among which the National Museum of Anthropology, Archeology and History of Peru stands out, which among its most important collections houses an impressive sample of pre-Columbian textiles, the National Museum of the Peruvian Culture and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, located inside a viceregal mansion and that presents among its most important attractions the finest collection of gold and silver from ancient Peru, the famous collection of erotic art and the deposits where visitors can appreciate the 45,000 archaeological objects duly classified. Both museums are located in the Pueblo Libre district and are connected by a pedestrian blue line that facilitates their visit together. In Miraflores you can visit the Sala Museo Oro del Perú in Larcomar which has a collection of pre-Columbian gold objects. Not only do we find museums dedicated to exhibiting the impressive manifestations of Peruvian pre-Columbian culture, but there are also museums of art, natural history and science, religious and thematic. They highlight the Lima Art Museum, the Italian Art Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Electricity Museum and the Postal and Philatelic Museum. You can also visit some private collections open to the public such as the Gold Museum of Peru and Arms of the World.
Tourism and gastronomy
Lima, as a point of entry to the country, has developed an important tourist offer, among which its historical center, its archaeological centers, its nightlife, museums, art galleries and popular festivities and traditions stand out. Lima also has a wide variety of restaurants and bars where you can try local and international food and drink, and Peruvian cuisine is widely recognized in all areas. Lima has been declared “gastronomic capital of Latin America” at the Fourth International Summit of Gastronomy Madrid Fusión 2006. The historic center of Lima, which includes part of the districts of Lima and Rímac, was declared A World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1988 due to the importance that Lima had during the viceroyalty, of which a large amount of architectural legacy is testimony. Highlights include the Convent of San Francisco, the Plaza Mayor in conjunction with the Cathedral of the XVI century, the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo, the Palace of Torre Tagle, etc.
The tour of the churches of the city is also common among outsiders. In a short tour of the city center we can find many, several of which date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Among them, the Cathedral of Lima and the Church of San Francisco stand out, of which it is said that they are linked by the underground passages of their catacombs. The Church of Las Nazarenas can also be highlighted, a place of pilgrimage to the Lord of Miracles, whose festivities in October constitute the most important religious manifestation of Lima and of all Peruvians.
Some sections of the colonial Lima City Wall can still be seen. These fine examples of medieval Spanish fortifications were used to defend the city from attacks by Pirates and Corsairs. For this, part of the said Wall has been recovered in the area behind the Church of San Francisco, very close to the Government Palace, in which a Park has been built (called “Parque La Muralla”), in which we can see remains of the same in an interesting tourist route. Half an hour from the Historic Center, in the Miraflores district, you can visit the Larcomar Tourist and Entertainment Center, which is located on the cliffs facing the sea.
The city has two traditional zoological parks: the main and oldest is the Parque de Las Leyendas, located in the San Miguel District, and the other is the Huachipa Ecological Park located east of the city in the Lurigancho District. On the other hand, the offer of Cinemas in the city is wide and has numerous state-of-the-art (3D) theaters that schedule international movie premieres, many times simultaneously with the United States and Europe.
Exclusive beaches are visited during the summer months, which are located on the Pan-American Highway, south of the city in resorts such as Punta Hermosa, San Bartolo and Asia. Numerous restaurants, discos, lounges, bars, clubs and hotels have been opened in these places to cater to bathers.
Recently, the Palomino Islands, located near the port of Callao attract many visitors, who can observe the sea lions in their natural habitat.
The suburban district of Cieneguilla, the District of Pachacámac (which includes an important Huaca from the Inca period, used as an administrative and ceremonial center) and the city of Chosica (in the district of Lurigancho) provide attractions to escape from the city to look for a little rest, being very close to it. Due to its elevation (over 500 meters above sea level), the sun shines in Chosica during winter, being very visited by the residents of Lima to escape the city fog.
