A visit to Lima, Peru’s big, bustling capital, is the ideal complement to add to your luxury cruise on the Amazon River with Aqua Expeditions as you will fly in and out of Lima pre-departure and post-cruise.

Lima, Peru stretches for miles along South America’s Pacific coast. At first glance, Lima may appear to you to be a city that is all about business, but dig a little deeper and you will find elegant homes, delightful colonial churches, excellent museums, and world-class restaurants. This nearly 500-year-old city was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who also designed the central square, the Plaza de Armas. Here, in the heart of Lima, the Spanish conquerors once ruled a region that stretched from Panama to Chile. And it was here that Peru declared its independence from Spain in 1821.

Favorite highlights to include in your visit to Lima, Peru are the Governor’s Palace, packed with treasures from the colonial era; the Lima Cathedral, containing Pizarro’s tomb; and perhaps most interesting, The Church of San Francisco, with its elaborate baroque architecture, musty catacombs, and piles of skulls. In the nearby neighborhood of Miraflores, you can climb to the top of the temple of Huaca Pucllana, a mud brick pyramid that predates the Incas. The upscale Miraflores neighborhood, skirting the sea, is also great for shopping. Another seaside area, Barranco, has become Lima’s version of New York’s Greenwich Village, known for its lively bars and cafes. 

Contact us to arrange a tour of Lima before your luxury cruise down the Amazon with Aqua Expeditions.