Lima, Peru 🇵🇪 Gringo's Guide

Everything you MUST know about the Peruvian capital...

Scenic views of the mighty Pacific Ocean. A cost of living that’s a fraction of any major US city. World-class cuisine and fine dining establishments. 

Lima, Peru boasts all these qualities and more — yet it’s often missing from the itineraries of many a Latin America traveler.

What’s the deal? 

In today’s post, I’m here to break down one of Latin America’s largest cities and talk a little about my own personal experience living in the Peruvian capital.

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Lima, Peru 🇵🇪

Population:

11,045,000 in the metro area

Weather: 

Lima’s weather is bizarre. Essentially it never rains in this city. During my year-long stint here, it rained once. Even then, it’s a stretch to call what I saw rain. More like a…dewy mist. It’s one of the driest capital cities in the world.

Although this may sound ideal for many of you, there’s something extremely important to note about the weather here.

During Lima’s winter months – which span from May to November approximately – it’s cool, cloudy, and grey. We’re talking 6 months straight of somber, sunless skies.

180 days of grey gets depressing. I can confirm, having lived it.

If you want to visit Lima, DO IT IN SUMMER.

Seriously. This is non-negotiable. The city feels 100x more pleasant.

Only come to Lima between November and June. 

During its summer months, Lima has perfect weather. Between 70- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit (mid 20s Celsius) and bright, sunny skies every day.

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Why Visit Lima, Peru?

If you happen to arrive to Lima during the day, as you begin your descent into Jorge Chávez International Airport you will get visually slapped with an aerial view of what appears to be a soul-crushingly unattractive, drab and otherwise uninspiring metropolis.

Brown, flat and sprawling. “Mountains” nothing more than dirt-covered hills speckled with bright-colored shacks inhabited by Lima’s poor.

The first time I flew into the Peruvian capital, I gazed out the window of the plane and thought “Oh God. What have I done?” 

Begs the question…why the f*ck should anyone go to Lima?

Well, although it’s true that 90% of Lima is ugly as sin, the city’s affluent neighborhoods are among the best neighborhoods in all Latin America. Stunning ocean views, clean, safe, and good infrastructure.

Not to mention, if you’re at all interested in international cuisine, Lima is a must-visit destination.

In my opinion, Lima has the best food in all Latin America. Some will disagree, but in terms of variety, flavor balance, presentation, and general consistency, nowhere in the region comes close. Whether it was an expensive restaurant, an extensive buffet, or a $3.00 menu hole-in-the-wall eatery, I scarcely suffered a bad meal here. 

If you’re a seafood fan, you’ll most certainly be in heaven in Lima. If you’re not, you’ll still find plenty of delectable options.

Limeños be eating good, for real.

Another compelling reason to visit the Peruvian capital is the fact that it’s a reasonably good destination for dating and relationships.

Peruvian women – God bless them – are not the best-looking Latinas in the region, but they’re generally sweet, caring and I would certainly say more trustworthy than most of their Latina counterparts. 

It’s also a city where your gringo status still holds power. 

While in most major Latin American cities being a gringo isn’t too impressive these days, in Lima it still is. Local girls have a reputation for preferring gringos over locals, and I have to say that I saw and experienced plenty of evidence to confirm this without a shadow of a doubt.

Finally, as a massive city, Lima offers all that you’d want in a Latin American capital. A variety of nightlife, museums, interesting architecture, landmarks, plenty of dining options, etc. And with the additional benefit of being a coastal city, it’s also a perfect place to do some surfing, windsurfing, parasailing, or paragliding.

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How to Get to Lima

Getting to Lima isn’t too much of a hassle.

Here are a handful of US cities offering direct flights:

• Miami

• Atlanta

• Houston

• New York

• Los Angeles 

Some European cities:

• Madrid

• Paris 

• Amsterdam

Some Latin American cities:

• Cancun

• Bogota

• Santiago

• Panama City

• San Jose

• Mexico City

• Buenos Aires

• Santiago

• São Paulo

• Rio de Janeiro

• Asunción

• Quito

Check all direct routes here: Flights From.

There are also many internal flights, so if you want to hop over to Cusco, Arequipa, Iquitos, Chiclayo, or Trujillo — it’s cheap and easy to do so without suffering a bus trip.

P.S: Do NOT go to Trujillo, sers.

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Best Neighborhoods in Lima, Peru

This is an easy one! 

Although I’d say there are technically 5 decent neighborhoods to stay in while visiting Lima, one stands above them all.

Which neighborhood is it?

Miraflores.

Miraflores is by far your best option while staying in Lima.

Anywhere within the above map is fine, but I’m going to simplify this even more for you!

Get an apartment or a hotel that’s walking distance from any of these three places:

• Parque Kennedy 

• Larcomar

• Parque del Amor

Plug these spots into Google Maps and start your search!

Aside from Miraflores, there are 4 other neighborhoods that are perfectly fine to call home.

They are as follows:

• Barranco

• San Isidro

• San Borja

• La Molina

That said, no need to complicate things. If it’s your first time in Lima, stay in Miraflores.

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Where to Stay in Lima?

Let’s get into details!

Here are a couple Airbnb options in Miraflores. This will help you get idea of the price/quality ratio this city offers in terms of lodging.

• Miraflores Airbnb Option 1

• Miraflores Airbnb Option 2 

These options aren’t the most luxurious in the city mind you, but they’re far from the worst.

As you can see, you’re looking at about $1000/month for a half-decent Airbnb in Lima in a good location.

If you prefer hotels, I recommend the following:

• Iberostar Selection Miraflores

Again, not the most expensive choice, nor the cheapest. But strong value for quality and unbeatable logistics. This hotel will run you about $150/night, give or take.

I highly recommend getting a place with ocean views if you’re able. Of course, this is liable to cost you a little more. But, if your budget allows for it, it’s worth it. Nothing better than waking up to epic ocean views to start your day right!

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Cost of Living

I don’t consider Lima a “cheap” destination by Latin American standards. While it’s not as expensive as São Paulo, Brazil or Santiago, Chile, it’s certainly more expensive than Bogota, Colombia or Buenos Aires, Argentina at the moment.

Here’s an approximate breakdown of what you can expect to spend here in Lima.

• Airbnb Apartment in Best Area: $1000-3000 USD a month

• Hotel in Best Area: $3000+ USD a month

• Maid: $400-600

• Grocery Store: $400-600

• Eating Out / Delivery: $400-600

• Gym: $50+

• BJJ / MMA: $60+

• Partying / Dating / Social: $600-900 USD

• Cell Data: $20

Specifically, I found eating and drinking at restaurants to be somewhat pricey here. Even in normal, non-fancy restaurants or bars, you’ll always pay around $7 or $8 for a basic cocktail. 

Lima’s menu restaurants – small, family run, no-frills lunch spots – offer well-rounded meals for about $4…but, if you go to any other type of restaurant, expect to pay around $10 for a meal. Granted, this still isn’t very costly, it’s more expensive on average than other Latin American cities. 

It does, however, make sense. Lima is aware of its status as a world class culinary destination, so we can’t expect restaurant fare to be too cheap here.

Long story short, prices in Lima are logical based on the city’s size and economy…except when it comes to drinking and dining. Prices for this are slightly elevated by Latin American standards.

I’d want a minimum of $2500/month to stay and play in Lima. The cost of living here is comparable to the cost of living in Mexico City.

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Is Lima Safe?

Yes. Lima is acceptably safe.

I found Lima to be one of the safer Latin American capitals I have been to. The five neighborhoods I mentioned previously – Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro, San Borja and La Molina – are safe. Police in Lima try to keep the riff raff out of these hoods since it’s where rich locals live.

Still, there are a couple things I want to mention about safety in Lima.

Around 2017 or so, a LOT of Venezuelan immigrants began flooding into the city. And they weren’t exactly, ahem, “bringing their best.” 

Since then, delinquency has crept up.

In fairness to our Venezuelan amigos this is not entirely their fault. Organized crime has been increasing in the region in general as well and this accounts for a lot of this country-wide spike.

But fear not! It’s all relative after all, and Lima remains one of the safer Latin American capital cities. Take normal precautions. In the nicer neighborhoods you’ll be just fine during the day. At night? Take a taxi even if it’s only a short distance. No point risking anything.

People drugging your drink here in Lima isn’t super common, but it does happen so don’t leave your beverage unattended.

Basic stuff. I wouldn’t worry too much here.

***I owe it to you to mention that I did witness a robbery in Lima. However, it was in a dangerous area of the city. Far away from my recommended neighborhoods which, again, are safe.

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Dating in Lima, Peru

If you’ve spent any time researching the women of Lima, Peru, you’ve likely realized they don’t have the best reputation for beauty. 

This isn’t completely fair; I’m here to defend the lovely ladies of Lima!