Lima is HUGE. Inhabited by more people than New York City, Lima is loaded with Neo-classical, Gothic, Baroque and Republican architecture. The historic center of Lima is a must-see. However, I found Lima a very different experience, both architecturally, and aesthetically from the rest of Peru.
Lima, UNESCO World Heritage Site
The historic center of Lima (Ciudad de los Reye) is a short cab ride from the Miraflores District and is a ‘must see.’ This is not just because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s because it’s beautiful—both by day and by night.
Lima is H U G E
The population estimate for metropolitan Lima is slightly over 12 million. Compare that to New York City with 8.6 million. (As of July 2017).
To put that number in perspective, close to one-third of Peru’s entire population lives in the Lima metropolitan area.
Lima Districts
I should probably take a moment here to explain how Lima is organized. Lima is divided into 43 districts with the oldest (Carabayllo) created in 1821. The newest district (Santa Anita) was created as recently as 1989.
According to Wikipedia, 33 of the districts make up the urban area of Lima, while the remaining districts are sparsely populated, being rural, desert and mountainous areas.
