The City of Kings  From the beginning Lima, the city of kings and viceroys, was an oasis of culture and elegance in the American Indies. Just a few decades after its foundation, Lima already  rivalled Mexico as the most important metropolis in the Spanish-American empire Baroque and Renaissance churches, mansions, palaces, universities and archdioceses filled Lima. The cultural scene positively hummed as early as the beginning of the seventeenth century, when Lima had but a population of just 25,000. Fishermen and hunter-gatherers, ruled over by a local chieftain, Taulichusco, originally settled the ancient Rímac Valley, "the speaker" in the Quechua language. It was here that on January 15, 1535, Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima. In less than 70 years, Lima was to concentrate all the power and wealth of all trade and cultural activity in the Vice-regency: it had become, in effect, the most important city in the Americas. In the eighteenth century, Lima fell into decadence and instability due mainly to the creation of the Vice-regency of Río de la Plata, who took over the great mines of Alto Perú (now Bolivia). Things came to a head in 1821, when Peru declared its independence as a Republic. At the start of the twentieth century, during la Belle Époque (1915-30), the city enjoyed a privileged position once more as one of the most modern cities on the continent.
In the 1940s, as growing waves of migrants left the countryside bound for Lima, the capital became a miniature replica of the country itself, -a melting pot of people and cultures. Today, with a population of 6.5 million, Lima is home to a quarter of the country's population and nearly two-thirds of Peru's economic and industrial activity. More than 460 years have passed since its founding as a Spanish city, and Lima today has become synonym of Peru's mestizo or mixed-blood heritage, one that baffles those in the know and first-time visitors alike. In fact, this quandary is one of Lima's greatest features. This alchemy of influences is most clearly seen in the city's innovative cuisine, which gourmet's rate as one of the worlds finest. UNESCO meanwhile, ranks Lima's architecture as a world heritage site, while the city's inhabitants, fun-loving and skilful, have become experts at adapting to change. Furthermore, Lima offers tourists superb museums, dozens of art galleries, theatre productions and every kind of top-notch cultural exhibition, modern shopping malls and recreational areas, in addition to archaeological and natural attractions.

The city of Lima is easily reached overland and by air. The capital is linked to all the cities on the coast by the modern Pan-American Highway, that runs along the coastline. The northern stretch runs for 1,370 km from Tumbes, on the Ecuadorian border, to Lima, while the South Pan-American Highway runs 1,291 km from Lima to Tacna, on the Chilean border. The capital is connected to the Andes via the Central Highway (Carretera Central) and the Paramonga-Huaraz route, both paved, and via rough-grade roads running from Cañete-Yauyos-Huancayo, Huacho-Oyón-Huánuco and Lima-Canta. As the gateway to Peru, Lima features an international airport, which has regular flights to major cities around the world as well as dozens of domestic flights.

Plaza Mayor or Main Square

The site of the Spanish founding of Lima by Francisco Pizarro, the Plaza Mayor, has witnessed some of the most important historic events in Peru. Small shops and busineses originally surrounded the Plaza Mayor, or Main Square. It was also used as a bullring and scaffold to execute those condemned by the Holy Inquisition. More than a century later, a bronze fountain, built in the centre in 1651, still stands today. It was in this plaza that Peruvians declared their independence in 1821. The Presidential Palace sits on the northern side of the square, while the Cathedral and Archbishop's Palace are on the East Side and the City Hall is located to the west.

Built in 1625 in Baroque Renaissance style and rebuilt after an earthquake in 1940, the Cathedral is a veritable work of colonial art. While its façade is somewhat austere, the Cathedral houses magnificent Churriguerra altars beautifully carved wooden choirstalls and gold-leaf altars, in addition to a unique collection of oil paintings and sculptures from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries

This is a striking colonial complex consisting of a church, the convent of San Francisco and the chapels of El Milagro and La Soledad. Built in the seventeenth century, the complex's cloisters and patios are decorated in blue Sevillian tiles, while there is also a well-stocked library. This complex houses the Religious Art Museum and the Zurbarán Room. The church is built on top of a network of underground tunnels or catacombs, which were used as a cemetery during colonial times, and today is open to the general public.

Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Construction of this church, which features three naves, got underway when Lima was founded, however it was not finished until the late sixteenth century. The church has superb choirstalls, carved in cedar, as well as an imposing dome. The convent cloisters are lined in Sevillian mosaic tiles, while the chapel is filled with Baroque sculptures. It was here that San Marcos University, the first in South America, was founded in 1551

Palacio Torre Tagle

Built in 1730 by the Marquis of Torre Tagle, treasurer of the Royal Spanish fleet, the palace is one of the finest examples of colonial architecture to be found in Peru. Its façade features two superb carved wooden balconies and a Baroque stone doorway. The interior decorated with Moorish arches, Sevillian tiles and soaring coffered ceilings are particularly noteworthy. Today it is the seat of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Casa Aliaga

Built on top of the foundations of a pre-Hispanic temple, this mansion has been inhabited since 1535 by the descendants of the Aliaga clan, one of Lima's well-established families, and is the oldest standing mansion in Lima. It features huge, luxurious salons, coffered ceilings and a beautiful inner patio, a characteristic of great colonial mansions in Lima. Today, it is used for a variety of cultural events.

Chancay, 87 km north of Lima, features an odd castle sprawling across 10,000 m2 that houses an interesting exhibition of mummies, textiles and huacos (pottery) dating back to the Chancay culture. Further north, the province of Huaura features a string of beaches, its main natural attraction. Moreover, 5 km south of Huacho (149 km north of Lima) lie the El Paraíso lagoons, a haven for egrets, coots, flamingos, pelicans, ducks and other migratory species such as the Arctic tern, which flies over from France. Further north, at 175 km of the Pan American Highway lies the Albufera de Medio Mundo, wetlands nearly 7 km long which are very popular with canoeists and fishermen. A few kilometres north, after crossing through a clutch of towns and fishing coves, one can visit the pre-Inca fortress of Paramonga (Chimú culture), located in the province of Barranca.

Lomas de Lachay

Nestled in the Andean foothills off kilometre 105 of the North Pan-American Highway, this national reserve is a unique Eco-system known as coastal foothills (lomas costeras). Stretching across an area of 5,070 hectares, these desert hills     turn bright green in winter thanks to the condensation that forms from the rolling mist. The area, a haven for a varied range of animals and plantlife, features signposted trails, picnic areas and a visitors' centre. All in all, it is an ideal spot for nature lovers, and should be visited from August through October, when the hillsides are completely carpeted with bright green undergrowth and brightly-coloured flowers.

The Pantanos de Villa (Wetlands), a marshy area 18 km south of Lima, features a sprawling zone of totora reed-lined pools that are one of the main havens on the coast for more than 150 bird classes, including 30 migratory species that fly here from all over the continent. Lima's last remaining natural reserve, the Villa Wetlands spread across 396 hectares, which are an obligatory stopping-point for the world's ornithologists and nature lovers. Many of the birds can be spotted during a three-hour stroll down signposted trails and strategically located lookout towers. The wetlands can be reached by car along Huaylas Avenue

Cañete and Lunahuaná

  The Valley of Cañete is located 135 km south of Lima on the South Pan-American Highway. The area is blanketed in sweeping, fertile and well-irrigated croplands, especially cotton fields, sweet potato, asparagus and marigold. The valley is blessed with a pleasant climate that has made it a popular spot with Lima inhabitants. During the summer time, the local beaches (La Ensenada, Cerro Azul and Cerro Colorado) fill up with swimmers and surfers. Just 40 km east, along a recently-paved road, lies Lunahuaná, a pleasant farming town that in recent years has become a Mecca for adventure-sports lovers, offering rafting, mountain-biking, parasailing and hiking. But not everything is adrenaline in this usually sleepy area, which also features archaeological sites, vineyards and outdoor restaurants.