The neighbourhood of Miraflores is often a first stop for new visitors to Lima and to Peru in general. It’s an easy location to be in, with plenty of hotels, boutique shops, well-rated restaurants and access to expansive beaches. It’s a great place to hang out, but too often, Miraflores is the only part of this city now stretching to a population of 10 million that a visitor will see. Such a large city can be intimidating to break down, especially while you’re there.
Let’s hit the streets and take a journey to find Christ. In this case, the Christo statue along the Pacific Coast that is visible from most of the city. Sure, the statue is the goal, but the path to get there will leave its mark on you, too.
Life’s a beach
Find yourself on the beach, and in an area known as Costa Verde (green coast) and you will notice that on this 3.5km (2 mi) stretch there are a number of restaurants (in case you forgot to eat before you left) and a nice beach path to keep you separated from the sometimes intense Lima traffic. The beach here is often cleft with a sharp 1m (3 ft) drop from the walkway to the Pacific waves and offers a photogenic landscape.
With the famous bluffs to your left and a constant wind from the ocean to your right, you will frequently catch site of paragliders high overhead. You’ll pass by Playa Redondo I and II, Playa la Estrella, Playa Pavos, and many more beaches. Each one is typically separated from its neighbour by a boulder-strewn breakwater jutting into the ocean in an ongoing attempt to keep the beaches in place.
Costa Verde is celebrated for its beaches.
Find yourself on the beach, and in an area known as Costa Verde (green coast) and you will notice that on this 3.5km (2 mi) stretch there are a number of restaurants (in case you forgot to eat before you left) and a nice beach path to keep you separated from the sometimes intense Lima traffic. The beach here is often cleft with a sharp 1m (3 ft) drop from the walkway to the Pacific waves and offers a photogenic landscape.
With the famous bluffs to your left and a constant wind from the ocean to your right, you will frequently catch site of paragliders high overhead. You’ll pass by Playa Redondo I and II, Playa la Estrella, Playa Pavos, and many more beaches. Each one is typically separated from its neighbour by a boulder-strewn breakwater jutting into the ocean in an ongoing attempt to keep the beaches in place.
You’ll find loads of amenities – and even basketball courts – around the beaches of Lima.
Your first glimpse of the beach Playa los Yuyos is a tempting rest spot. Los Yuyos is the perfect spot to sunbathe and is popular with locals wishing to alternately tan and cool their bodies in the age-old worship of sun and sea. There are a few bright umbrellas here, if you are lucky enough to procure one, to help keep the sun at bay.
Playa Agua Dulce is next. It’s a much larger beach with a park full of lovers’ sculptures as a median divider in the road called Malecon de Chorrillos. If you need some refreshments, grab them now, as the area is ripe with boisterous street vendors selling iced drinks, fresh fruit and any number of packaged snacks for the rest of your walk.
Playa Agua Dulce is ripe with street vendors if you’re in need of a snack.
Half-day tip
Now is also a good time to turn around if you are not up for a full day of exploration. Take a walk back through the Barranco District, with its vibrant art scene and bohemian feel, or retrace your footsteps along the beach. Why not venture inland at Playa Las Cascadas and spend some time at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo just up the hill? The Barranco is known for its laid-back feel and variety of bars and accessible restaurants, all of them a short taxi ride back to Miraflores.
Barranco is known for its bohemian feel.
Head for the hills
For those pressing on to Cristo del Pacífico, it’s time to leave the inviting beaches behind and head uphill. The good news is that as you start your ascent, the entirety of Lima will start to spread out below you. First you’ll notice the Club Regattas Lima with its sports facilities and well-attended beaches. Then (to the north and east) the colourful cacophony of Lima’s working class neighborhoods blanket the rolling hills into the distance. Keep following Paseo Soldado Desconocido up and up with the city to your left and hill to your right.
As you begin to walk up don’t forget to look down as Lima starts to spread out below your feet.
Just as your throat is getting a little dry (bring water!) and your legs are starting to really feel the elevation gain, you see him, Christo, in all His statuesque hands-open-to-the-city-and-heaven glory. The thing about arriving at the statue is that there isn’t much to do except take a breather, look around and marvel at the view of Lima — and what a view it is! — and then head back down.
The Cristo del Pacífico.
Worth a side trip as you head down is the Monumento al Soldado Desconocido, Lima’s version of Washington’s Tomb of the Unknown Solider. Here there are quiet benches on which to sit and reflect and take in the city sights. At night, the contrast of city lights and ink-black ocean are known to be incredible.
Taxis aren’t prevalent at Christo statue or the monument so you will have to backtrack down the hill until you spot one. Otherwise, stop at one of the many fancier restaurants at the Club Regattas complex for a quick bite before enjoying your walk back to Miraflores.
The entire route along the beach is open and has a safe, family friendly feel to it. This is the area of town people come to relax and get away from their worries, so if you want to get closer to the “real” Lima, a walk along the Costa Verde is an excellent choice.
Getting There
G Adventures runs a number of departures in Peru encompassing a wide range of departure dates and activities to cater to different tastes. We’re thrilled at the prospect of showing you this big blue planet of ours — check out our small group trips here.
