5 top attractions in Lima and rooms to stay: Leading from Plaza de Armas to Plaza San Martin, pedestrian-only Jiron de la Union is a mix of old and new buildings housing restaurants and shops. Here, you’ll find La Merced church, which was completed in the late 1700s and has an ornate Baroque colonial facade, and Casa de Aliaga. This is one of the oldest and best preserved colonial mansions in South America, dating back to the early days of the city. It has been occupied by the Aliaga family since 1535, handed down through 17 generations, making it the oldest home in South America owned and occupied by a single family. The house, furnished in colonial style with pieces from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, is open on a guided tour by advance reservation.

This museum displays the wealthy businessman Yoshitaro Amano’s collection of pre-Colombian textiles and artifacts, amassed throughout his travels. The perfect place to take the kids or a date, El Circuito Mágico del Agua has daily light shows that are projected onto spouting fountains. If you want to get wet, go during the day and enjoy their interactive fountains that shoot water up from the ground. Central Restaurante comes in at number 5 in the Top 50 Best Restaurants in the world, and their chef and owner has been voted best chef in the world. Enjoy the exotic Peruvian cuisine, arranged and served by altitude.

While the grandest and most significant of Peru’s many pre-Colombia monuments are found beyond the limits of the capital, Lima has a host of museums to whet your appetite for learning about the country’s ancient cultures. The oldest of all Peruvian museums is the mammoth-sized Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Antropologia, e Historia del Peru, covering every Peruvian culture you’ve ever heard of (and many you haven’t). You’ll find artifacts here that include the crossed hands stone from Kotosh and the seven-foot-high carved monolith, the Raimondi Stele from Chavin de Huantar. Only 35 kilometers southeast of the city, the Pachacamac site dates back to 200 AD, making it vastly older than Huaca Pucllana and practically ancient compared with Machu Picchu. Most of the buildings around today were built during Inca occupation in the 15th-century, and you’ll need a bit of imagination to return the adobe-brick temples to their former glory, many of which look like they’ve melted a bit in the sun. That said, if you want to get a glimpse of Peru before the Spanish arrived really, it’s an excellent place to start.

Chifa Brasil – Corner of Brasil and Junin. Chifa is chifa is chifa, but this place became one of our favorites, particularly for the zesty-sweet Chicken Limon Kai, the frozen beers, and the great prices. They’ve also got a couple big TVs that they’re happy to turn to whatever game you’re itching to watch. Lorenzo – Corner of Sucre and Salaverry. They have both a set menu and a la carte items, and though their set menu is a few soles more than most it’s incredibly delicious and filling. These guys also provide some of the best table service in all of Peru (which was a rare treat to find). Discover even more images of this amazing ocean view penthouse on @AmazingPeruPenthouse on Facebook. Need a place to rent in Lima, Peru? Discover a few extra details on Amazing Penthouse in Lima, Peru.

The Plaza de Armas is where the city of Lima was born. Also known as the Plaza Mayor, it is the heart of the city, located in its historic district, with streets radiating out in a grid. The location was picked by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. Though not one original building remains, at the center of the plaza is an impressive bronze fountain erected in 1650. Today the plaza is flanked by the cathedral and several palaces including Palacio Arzobispal, which boasts some of the most exquisite Moorish-style balconies in the city.