During the Spanish colonial time, Lima served as the bustling center of South America as it was the main trade route of native goods from Quito to Santiago to Spain, especially during the 17th and 18th centuries. When the Spanish ventured further from Lima’s port, Callao, they discovered many other places in the great unknown Pacific such as Polynesia.
During this height, the Spanish built fascinating Spanish architectural masterpieces, like baroque churches, green plazas and palaces. Lima housed South America’s first university as well in 1551. During the Spanish Inquisition (for 2 centuries), Lima was the headquarters in Latin America. In fact, the Museo de la Inquisicion in Lima shows this grisly side of history, with dungeons and torture chambers and tribunal room. Its Cathedral, build from 1535 thru 1605, is the mist impressive of South America.
When an earthquake hit in 1746, Lima was rebuilt as the mighty Spanish center of power again, and the Castle of Real Felipe was reconstructed to protect the most important port of its time, the Port of Callao from the attack of corsairs and pirates that where permanently watching for the departure of shiploads of gold and silver in direction of Spain.
Lima is a town of contrast, a mix of modern architecture together with the old, make it a fascinating town to visit. The best example of its magnificent times of glory are main square and the Cathedral and churches throughout downtown, as some of the magnificent colonial mansions that have survived in time like the current ministry of Foreign Affairs, housed at the Palace of Torre Tagle.
To get a good reflection of Lima's past, it is also important to visit the town of Barranco, with a church going back to the 18th century and wonderful architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Lima also is home to some of the most impressive museums and private art collections that are a must to visit, such as Museo Larco ( the MochicamMecca of the world) and its erotic precolumbian art exhibits, The Mujica Gold Museum, the Lievana popular art collection and the very important Ciurlizza Art Collection that houses art from pre-columbian to contemporary periods.
As the gourmet capital of America, Lima offers the most diverse variety of restaurants in the continent, from its exquisite chinese restaurants (China considers peruvian chinese food as the 8th culinary region of China), to it famous cebicherías (seafood restaurants featuring Cebiche as the main item of their menu), pollerías, (the most delicious grilled chicken in the world) and a variety of gourmet restaurants including french cuisine and peruvian nouvelle cuisine). It is a must for the good eater.
