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Destination Overview > Travel Information > 10 Things to do in Perú > A Sojourn to Machu Picchu

Destination Overview

Background Story of Lima, Perú

In a land of ancient civilizations Lima, in the Rimac River Valley was chosen by the Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro for Perú's capital in 1535, as its location by the sea provided a link with sailing routes. Quickly becoming one of the most important cities in the Americas, today this main gateway to the country is bustling with living history and movement. The metropolis is also surrounded by every aspect of Nature: the sea, islands, mountains, desert and plantlife. Its various quarters feature a city of more than 8 millions souls with an active nightlife and well-endowed cultural scene, as well as plentiful public transport and non-stop activities.

In the historic centre, on the World Cultural Heritage List, you can visit splendid examples of colonial architecture including the Cathedral, the Convents of Santo Domingo and San Francisco. And also visit the Casa Aliaga and Palacio Torre Tagle mansions.

Lima is also an inexhaustible source of culture, demonstrated by the existence of numerous and varied museums like the National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archeological Museum, which guards priceless Incan and pre-Incan treasures.

Situated in the heart of the city are great archeological monuments such as the Huallamarca Huaca or the Pucllana Huaca. And, on the outskirts of Lima facing the ocean is Pachacamac, the most important pre-Incan sanctuary on the coast, built in the third century A.D. Some of the other great attractions are the beaches where you can do all types of aquatic sports, enjoy the sun, or simply gaze at the mesmerizing beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

The city offers a wide variety of restaurants and inviting locales where tasty dishes are the results of the mixing of European, African, Asian, and Andean cuisines.