Central Lima Attractions

Lima has a good collection of museums. Two are close together in the Park of the Exposition while others are scattered inconveniently for visitors around other parts of the city. You should consider visiting those listed below.
Museo de Arte (Museum of Art)
Paseo Colon Street No. 125, Lima.
Telephone: 423-4732
Open: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00 Admission S 6, Wednesdays free

This is located in the Palacio de la Exposición which was built in 1872 with plans by Gustave Eiffel. It exhibits collections that show the art of Peru from the prehistory and the first human discoveries through to contemporary art. There are ceramic and fabric pre-Hispanic cultures collections, silver jewels, furniture and colonial dresses and many paintings.

Museo de Arte Italiano (Museum of Italian Art)
Paseo de la Republica 1st block, Lima.
Telephone: 423-9932
Open: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 14:30 Admission: S 1

The building is a gem. This was founded in 1921, in a building with Florentine architecture. It was donated by the Italian colony in Peru for the centennial of the Independence of Peru. There are sculptures, drawings, furniture and canvases of Italian art.

Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera (Archaeological museum)
Bolivar Avenue No. 1515, Pueblo Libre
Telephone: 461-1312 and 461-1835
Open: Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00, Sunday 09:00 to 13:00 Admission:S15,
Founded in 1926, in an old mansion built in 1707, this museum has the largest private collection of pre-Columbian art in the world. There are archaeological pieces of ceramic, gold, stone, wood and textile of pre-Hispanic cultures, especially the Peruvian northern cultures. The Textile Art room, the Great Room of Culture, and the vault Gold Room are outstanding. It also exhibits the only collection in the world of "Erotic Huacos".

Museo de la Nación (Museum of the Nation)
Javier Prado Este Avenue No. 2465, San Borja.
Telephone: 476-9875 and 476-9882
Open: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00 Admission: S 3
Before I came to Peru, I was only vaguely aware that the Incas were the last of several sophisticated civilizations who were incredibly good artists and engineers. In this museum I was able to put things into place.

Inaugurated in 1990, the exhibition is in big rooms over four levels. It covers a period from 14,000BC. to 1532AD. There are a ceramic exhibition, replicas of the main archaeological places of Peru, dioramas, paintings mummified Inca heads and diverse collections that represent the different aspects of the development of old Peru.

This is probably the most important Christian monument in Lima and it is certainly the most interesting. While my wife and I spent a few minutes in many churches in Lima, our time here extended to an hour or more. The church with the impressive main portal, the affiliated convent, the external plaza and the two churches of ‘El Milagro’ and ‘La Soledad’ form together possibly the most successful and impressive monument of colonial architecture in the whole of Latin America.

Building started in 1542 but it was not consecrated until 1673, the church in Baroque style, is of great aesthetic beauty. The impressive carved portal had an influence on other churches in Lima. The temple has three naves, a carved altar, beautiful sacristy, wide windows and a rich pictorial collection. The central nave has outstanding ceiling paintings in a style which is a blend of Spanish and Moorish style.

The convent has cloisters, plazas, library and living rooms. The portal is adorned with authentic Sevillian tiles placed in 1620. It has a "Museo de Arte Religioso" (religious art museum) rich in silver objects, chasubles embroided with gold and silver, fine carved wood, parchments and many other points of interest. The complex has been declared a "Cultural World Heritage Site" by UNESCO. It was restored a few years ago with the support of "Banco de Crédito del Perú".

We did a guided tour through the monastery. The tour takes approx. one hour and is in Spanish or English. Inside you will be amazed by the beautiful preserved wooden stairs, the outstanding library with over 25000 volumes, the ‘Zurbarán – Hall’, small chapels, distinctive religious paintings, and small patios of typical Spanish style decorated with lovely tiles from Seville.

Definitely the highlight of the tour was the descent into the convents catacombs that served for many years as a burial ground. An estimated 80,000 deceased are buried here and their remains are stacked together in various ways. It is somewhat grisly but very interesting all the same. I understand that the catacombs were ‘rediscovered’ in 1951 after being ‘lost’ for many years.

You can easily combine a visit to these two buildings. We walked the one block from the Plaza de Armas to the church then went down Jr. Camana to the Casa before returning to the pedestrian street near the Iglesia de la Merced. If you didn’t go into either building this would only take 10 minutes but I suggest you allow more time than this because both the church and hous are worth a visit.

The Church of San Agustin was first built in 1574, but at the end of the 19th century the church was close to collapse due to severe damages caused by artillery fire during the civil war, After the war the church was rebuilt to resemble how it looked at the beginning of the 18th century.

Of particular note is the Churrigueresque portal entirely carved in stone, the sacristy with beautiful wooden images, a baseboard of tiles and an important carving of "La Muerte" (The Death), masterpiece by the Peruvian master Baltazar Gavilán. Also note the arcades, the choir stalls with the remarkable wooden carvings and the beautiful ceiling.


Opening hours: Daily from 08.00 am to 11.00 am and 04.30 pm to 08.00 pm.


The Casa Riva-Aguero is a rambling mansion from 1760. Ornately carved wooden balconies are a feature of this house and they overlook both the front and back courtyards. Take particular note of the celosias on the street facade – intricate wood screens through which ladies could watch passersby without being observed. There is an interesting museum of folk art on the second floor with 3 soles admission. The building opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm.

These two buildings are outstanding examples of Spanish colonial architecture which fortunately have been preserved in excellent condition. We were very impressed by both. They should be a ‘must’ on every visitors list of things to see in Lima.

The Casa Torre Tagle is one of the oldest and most accomplished expressions of Spanish colonial building, anywhere. It is named after the Marquis Torre Tagle, a former treasurer of the Spanish Armada. Built in 1735, this is one of the last examples of Baroque design found in the Americas, with imperial staircases, ballrooms and tiling that alludes to the influence of the earlier Moroccan conquest of Spain. The coat of arms of the original owner is still visible above the door. A gilded, 16th-century carriage is also on display.


The very ornate balconies and stone carvings on the outside of the building evoke all the grandiose presumption of the Spanish empire and are authentic Lima architectural Jewels. As headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, public access is limited to the courtyards. It is nevertheless something worth seeing.


Across the street from the Casa Torre Tagle, is the Casa Goyeneche, also known as the Casa Rada, constructed 40 years later. the Goyeneche palace is built in white sillar, as most other important buildings in the downtown area. The traditional Colonial style of the building translates into ample courtyards, arched ceilings, and typical doors and windows. The mansion is home to an interesting collection of paintings from the Cusco and Arequipa Schools, and to some sculptures from the Spanish Granada School of the seventeenth century.

These two buildings provide a striking opportunity to observe the shift from early 18th-century Baroque to the late-18th century, somewhat sparer, style of Rococo. By any standard, however, the Casa Goveneche’s carefully carved balconies are models of elegance. The building is now owned by Peru’s Banco de Crédito. It can be visited Monday through Friday, from 9.15am to 3pm.

This was a Jesuit temple, built between 1624 and 1638. The present building is the third church built on this site. It is said that the Jesuits longed for a place of worship that was worthy of the Jesuit order, and so when the time came to expand their church, they modeled it on the Iglesia de Gesú. The church was constructed by Martín de Aspirate, with three naves and a dome and during the Colony was the church of the aristocracy. Today, it is considered one of the most beautiful in Peru and perhaps the finest example of early-colonial religious architecture. It is certainly very impressive and although it is not directly in the tourist precinct it is well worth a visit.

The outside is quite restained but the interior shows all the extravagance of the era. The church has outstanding Baroque altars decorated in gold leaf, as well as a dazzling sacristy. Its side aisles are notable for their arcades. Also of note are the numerous colonial paintings and the San Ignacio de Loyola and Santa Lucia altars which are real masterpieces. Perhaps the most famous art work is the Coronation of the Virgin by Italian artist Bernardo Bitto. Several viceroys are buried below the building.


The church has a laboriously carved stone portico which you shouldn’t miss. The other fact of note is that the church retains its original bell, La Abuelita, which is the oldest bell in the country. Called the grandmother by the locals, it was first rung in 1590, and then later sounded the Declaration of Independence in 1821.


Mass takes place at 7am, 8am, 9am, 12pm, 6pm and 7:30pm Mon-Sun.