LIMA, GATEWAY TO PERU

Altitude:		154 m (505 ft) above sea level
Area:		2,817 sq km (1,087.6 sq mi) (Lima & Callao)
Population:		8'482,619 (Lima & Callao)
Climate:		Tempered all year around. In July and August is winter in Lima and the weather is cold and humid (55º-75º F / 13º-25º C)

Peru is said to be a country of contrasts and Lima illustrates many of these. Called the "City of the Kings" by the Spanish conquistadors in 1535, today's Lima combines extensive areas both of elegant, colonial architecture and vibrant modernism as well as traces of pre-Inca and Inca civilisations. In Lima there are beautiful convents and churches from the Colony, such as The Convent of Santo Domingo, the Church of San Francisco and the Cathedral, all of them reminders of the rich religious and colonial past.

Lima is a vibrant metropolis, full of contrasts and imagination, with a diversity of cultures and a spectacular gastronomy resulting from fresh and varied ingredients and the fusion of native cuisines with those of European, Chinese, Japanese and African immigrants. As you will find out, eating in Peru is a journey in itself.

Our suggestion is that whenever possible the visit to Peru should begin in Lima, and stay there at least two full days. Lima is home to some of the best museums in South America, such as the outstanding Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, and The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru. When in Lima, visiting at least one of these two museums is a must.