Lima, a vast and bustling metropolis sprawled along the Pacific coast, is an intriguing city that combines colonial splendor with sophisticated-yet-energetic modernism. Lima was once called La Ciudad de los Reyes, the City of Kings, by the Spanish crown. Its colonial fronts remain an echo of that imperial past, with balconies carved from cedar and courtyards tiled with Andalusian grace. Today, Lima’s pulse is a polyphony of ancient and avant-garde: pre- Columbian antiquities sealed behind glass walls; chefs reimagining the soul of the nation in flavors like ají amarillo and lime-cured fish.
Lima contains many of Peru’s most celebrated monuments, including the Cathedral of Lima, an impressive Spanish colonial church dating back to the 16th century, as well as the Aliaga Mansion (Casa Aliaga), one of the oldest houses in Lima built during the Spanish colonial regime. Built in 1535, the mansion is a stunning example of the city’s deep history. One of the oldest and most historic parts of Lima is Callejón Carabaya and San Mateo Mateo Salado street with its narrow alleys that have seen almost 400 years of change. Catedral de Lima, a baroque and neoclassical construction, is the scene of many religious and political events in the city. A walk through here provides a close-up window into Lima as the capital of the Spanish Empire in South America.
