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Peru Tourist Guide
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CENTRAL PERU:
Lima, the Capital:
Colonial Lima
Pachacamac
Miraflores
Gold Museum
Barranco
Shopping
Shopping
Of all the Peruvian towns and cities, Lima is the most likely to have what you're
looking for. For shoes and clothing it is certainly your best bet, particularly if
you're on the large size or want a huge selection to choose from. The same is true of
electronic goods, stationery and recorded music, though bear in mind that most Limeños
who can afford it do their main shopping in Miami. Lima also has a good selection of
reasonably priced arts and crafts markets and shops, which means you don't have to carry
a sack full of souvenirs back from Cusco or Puno. Lima's flashiest indoor shopping centre
is the Centro Comercial on Camino Real, near the Lima Golf Club in the heart of San Isidro.
For supermarkets try Wongs, which you'll find across the city, notably at the San Isidro
Comercial Centre, at the Ovalo Gutierrez and on Avenida Benavides in San Antonio; in
downtown Miraflores, the Santa Isabela supermarket, Avenida Benavides 487, is open 24 hours.
The usual shopping hours are Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, though in Miraflores, the main commercial
area, many shops and artesania markets stay open until 7 or 8pm. Some shops, but by no
means all, shut for a two-hour lunch break, usually from 1 to 3pm and most shops shut on
Sundays, though the artesania markets on Avenida La Marina and Petit Thouars tend to stay
open all week until 7pm.
Arts and crafts
All types of Peruvian artesania are available in Lima, including woollen goods, crafts
and gem stones. Some of the best in Peru are on Avenida Petit Thourars, which is home
to a handful of markets between Avenida Ricardo Palma and Avenida Angamos, all well
within walking distance of Miraflores centre. Artesania Gran Chimu, Avenida Petit
Thouars 5495, has a wide range of jewellery and carved wooden items, as does Mercado
Artesanal, also on Avenida Petit Thouars, at no. 5321. Elsewhere, Las Pallas, Cajamarca
212, Barranco (tel 477-4629), around the corner from block 6 of Avenida Grau, is a
fascinating and veritable museum of artesania, run by a British woman who has spent
most of her life collecting fine works and who may be able to show you the rest of her
collection (ring for an appointment). Antisuyo, Avenida Tacna 460, Miraflores
(tel 241-6451), sells crafts from Peru's Amazon tribes, while La Casa de Alpaca, La Paz
679, Miraflores, stocks good-quality but expensive alpaca clothing. Agua y Tierra, Diez
Canseco 298 (tel 444-6980) has an interesting range of ethnic and traditional healing or
curanderos's artefacts; Collacocha, Colon 534, parallel to block 11 of Avenida Larco
(tel 447-4422) has a very nice, if small, collection of Andean arts and crafts; Silvana
Prints, Conquistadores 915, San Isidro, produces and sells a colourful range of mainly
cotton fabrics and items like cushion covers, incorporating ancient pre-Inca motifs in
the design. Slightly cheaper are the artesania markets on blocks 9 and 10 of Avenida La
Marina in Pueblo Libre and the good craft and antique market, which takes place every
evening (6-9pm) in the Miraflores Park between Diagonal and Avenida Larco. Hatun Raymi
Artesania Festival (July 27-Aug 13) is a great gathering of Lima based artesania producers;
it's located on the massive esplanade of the Museo de La Nacion and entry is free.
For jewellery , Casa Wako, Jirón de la Unión 841, is probably the best place in Lima Centro,
specializing in Peruvian designs in gold and silver at reasonable prices, while Plateria
Pereda, Jirón Venecia 186a, Miraflores, stocks fine silver jewellery to suit most tastes.
Nazca, Avenida La Paz 522, has a nice range, much of it in silver. For good- quality antiques
there's Rafo, Martinez de Pinillos 1055, Barranco (tel 247-0679) who have a good lunchtime
restaurant too, and also Collacocha, Calle Colon 534, parallel to block 11 of Avenida Larco
in Miraflores.
Books, stationery and maps
A few shops on Avenida Nicolas de Pierola stock English-language books (try the one at no. 689),
and The Book Exchange, just around the corner at Ocoña 211, sells or swaps second-hand paperbacks.
Epoca, Avenida José Pardo 399, Miraflores, has a good range of titles including many in English.
The ABC Bookstores at Colmena 689, Lima Centro, and in the Todos shopping complex, San Isidro,
are well supplied with all kinds of works in English, including books on Peru. On the Jirón de
la Unión, the Librería Ayza usually has some interesting publications and maps, while in Miraflores
the Libreria El Pacifico, by Café Haiti, generally has a wide range of books and magazines in
English. Stationery is available from Libreria Minerva, Larco 299, Miraflores.
The South American Explorers' Club operates a free book exchange for members and is also a good
source of maps . Charts covering most of Peru in detail are available from the Instituto
Geografico Nacional, Avenida Aramburu 1190, Surquillo (tel 475-3085 or 475-3075,
postmaster@ignperu.qob.pe), and from the Servicio Aerofotografico Nacional, at Las Palmas
Airforce Base in Barranco (tel 477-3682). Ingemmet, Avenida Canada, 1470, San Borja (tel 225-3158)
stock a wide range of plans, while the Touring Y Automovil Club de Peru, Avenida Cesar Vallejo 699,
Lince (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 440-3270) ar good for road maps
Food
The best place to buy food for a picnic is Surquillo Market (daily), a couple of blocks from
Miraflores over the Avenida Angamos road bridge, on the eastern side of the Paseo de la
República freeway. This colourful place is fully stocked with a wonderful variety of breads,
fruits, cheeses, meats etc, though it can be a bit dodgy in terms of petty thieving, so keep
your wallet and passport close. Alternatively, you could try one of the Wong Supermarkets, in
San Antonio, on the corner of Avenida Republica de Panama and Avenida Benavides, or the smaller
branch at Ovalo Gutierrez on the corner of Avenida Comandante Espinar and Avenida Santa Cruz;
all the branches also change cash dollars. In the centre of Lima you can buy most basic
foodstuffs - bread, fruit and so on - either from stalls on Avenida Emancipacion or in the
central market to the east of Avenida Abancay. The best things to buy for a tasty picnic are
the delicious white queso fresco (cheese), avocados and pecan nuts. For health food ,
try Naturalix, Jirón Diez Canseco 440, Miraflores, or Octavios, Los Jazmines 219, Lince,
which stocks a wide range of healing herbs from the Amazon and the Andes. Other good options
are the Natural Co-op on Moquegua, near the corner with Torrico, and El Girasol, Camana 327,
not far from the Plaza Mayor; Eco Natura, Jirón Schell 634; or Botiquin Naturista, Centro
Comercial Camino del Inca, Surco, Tienda 157, upstairs.
Camping and sports equipment
Altamira, Arica 800, a block from the Ovalo Gutierrez roundabout, sells a good range of
quality camping equipment , as do Alpaymayo, Avenida Larco 345, Miraflores. Best, Avenida
Espinar 320, Mirafores, sell rucksacks, cycling equipment and surfing gear, while Todo
Camping, Avenida Angamos Oeste 350, has a range of tents and other equipment. There's also
the Camping Centre, Avenida Benevides 1620 (tel 242-1779) in Miraflores or Sisperu, Caminos
del Inca 257 (tel 372-0428) in Chacarilla, and the South American Explorers' Club is worth
trying too.
For surfing gear go to Best, Billa Bong, Ignacio Merino 711, O'Niells, Avenida Santa Cruz 851,
or Waves, Bolivar 149, all of which are in Miraflores; in Barranco there's Wayo Whilar, Avenida
28 de Julio 287. Cycling equipment is available from Biclas, Avenida Conquistadores 641, San
Isidro (tel 440-0890); Bike Mavil, Avenida Avacion 4011 (tel 449-8435); Cicloroni, Calle de
Las Casas, block 32 Avenida Petit Thouars, San Isidro (tel 221-7643); and Will-Pro, Avenida 2
de Mayo 430, San Isidro (tel 222-0289).
Photographic equipment
Photographic equipment , accessories and film developing are all a little expensive in Lima.
Try Kodak Express, Avenida Larco 1005, or Lab Color Profesional, Avenida Benevides 1171
(tel 446-7421), both in Miraflores, for films and developing. Agfafoto, Diez Canseco 172,
Miraflores, has films and peripherals, while Renato Service, 28 Julio 442, Miraflores, has
excellent camera and video equipment. Foto Digital, Avenida larco 1005 (tel 447-9398) are
good for fast developing. Kodak's laboratories on Avenida Arriola, just off Javier Prado
Este in La Victoria, will develop Ektachrome but not Kodachrome. For camera repairs , try
the shop near the Camera House, Larco 1150, Oficina 39 (tel 961-7590) in Miraflores.
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