The City of Kings, as it is known, is the gateway and capital of Peru; starting point to visit almost all the attractions in the country.
 
Lima runs at a slower pace than many South American metropolises; its rhythm is more traditional, and its people reflect a steadier, calmer constitution. Lima's unusually amenable inhabitants give the metropolis the feeling, at times, of a cluster of smaller towns.
 
It was founded in 1535 and, in a short period of time, became the most important city in the Americas. Today, with eight million inhabitants and immigrants from all places of the world, it is a mixed city par excellence. Its historic centre was placed by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage List, due to its incomparable buildings of Colonial architecture as the Cathedral, Convent of Santo Domingo or Convent of San Francisco, as well as its traditional houses as the Riva Agüero House or Torre Tagle Palace.
 
Throughout its several museums you can read the history of this city, many of them keep inestimable samples of the Incan and pre-Incan cultures. The National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archeological Museum are two of the most important. And, in some of its archaeological sites, you can observe splendid, well kept and restored buildings, also part of those cultures legacy as Pachacámac (a pre-Incan sanctuary), Puruchuco, Cajamarquilla, Huaca Pucllana, Huaca Huallamarca, but to name a few.
 
Miraflores and San Isidro are two remarkable districts of Lima by the modernity found in its buildings and services, housing the best hotels, restaurants, shopping and show centers, besides its financial, commercial and business activity.
 
At night, visit the Barranco district, named the city of Mills: an early twentieth century beach resort for the Lima aristocracy, it is the main artistic neighborhood of the city, with lovely homes and corners offering you musical and cultural shows, disco techs, pubs, and cafes.
 
South of Lima, long white beaches washed by the cold waters of the southern Pacific stretch away in an uninterrupted string, backed by row upon row of huge, brilliant white sand dunes. In contrast to the tourist beaches of warmer climes, these shores have few amenities other than small restaurants and cafes. One of the best of these remote beaches, as if to confirm its tranquility, is known as El Silencio. Like Lima itself, these beaches seem to exist in an eddy of time, pleasantly removed from the relentless pace of more frequented destinations.
 
Dining out is one of the finest aspects of a visit to Lima. Whether it's the local comida criolla (spiced meats, seafood, or poultry) or international cuisine, Lima's many restaurants serve an excellent repast. Cebicherias--small restaurants specializing in fresh seafood-are especially popular.
 
As people from Lima say, you will find here one of the best cuisines of the world. You’d better come and taste for yourself!