Barranco: the best town to stay in Lima

Barranco is known as the creative district of Lima. It is originally a small village that has been drawn to the entire city of Lima over the years and there is still a cozy atmosphere. Barranco is a mecca if you like street art and is known for its art. When we were there last month, an art route was organized. The artists then held ‘open house’, very nice to take a look behind the scenes. The authenticity of the village has not yet been lost and, unlike Miraflores, there are no McDonalds and Burger King in Barranco. You will find a lot of hip coffee shops, nice restaurants and a nice square. Oh yes, and don’t forget  walk over the well-known bridge Puente de los Suspiros..

In Barranco you definitely have to walk towards the Puente de los Suspiros. Along the way you will come across some really cool street art at the viaduct (see main photo). Right next to the bridge is a beautiful church with a viewpoint over the sea and a park where you can eat a delicious ice cream. If you walk down at the bridge, you can walk down that path to the sea (this is the only path to the sea from Barranco).

This is the central park in Barranco. The mix of local people and tourists creates a cozy atmosphere. Especially in the evenings there is a lot of activity here; think of young people who are breakdancing or salsa dancing. Get a cappuccino, take a seat on one of the many benches and take a good look around you.

A nice way to explore Barranco and Miraflores is to rent a bike. In Barranco you can rent bikes on the coastal road Malecon Pazos, right next to the place where you can paraglide. Electric steps are also popular in Lima. You can rent and return this at various places on the street.

As an art lover you definetly feel that  Barranco is the place to be. Many studios and exhibitions can be found in this artists’ quarter. There are also two large museums in Barranco: the electricity museum and the museum of modern art.

Every Sunday there is a “green market” at the sports field (Estadio unicipal Jose Galvez). Here you can mainly score organic delicacies and there is a relaxed atmosphere. There is also a flea market in Barranco on Sundays; the entrance to the site is on Malecon Pazos street (opposite the bike rental).

In Barranco there a just a few  small shops and some luxury boutiques. If you want to shop, it’s best to go to the Larcomar shopping center. This shopping mall is built on a cliff and is worth a visit just for the view (especially during the sunset). You will also find more (clothing) stores in Miraflores and in the old center.

Lima is not very cheap compared to the rest of Peru and you can see that in the prices of the accommodations. There are enough good options to be found. Are you staying in Lima for more than one night? Also check out Airbnb because there are many individuals who rent out their apartments.

We slept in a good location at the start of Barranco in the Espacio luxury appartments. This neat apartment complex is located near the central square, the supermarket and many restaurants. An advantage of this accommodation is that the center of Miraflores and the Larcomar shopping center are within walking distance (both half an hour’s walk).

No shortage of good restaurants in Barranco. One of the most popular restaurants is Isolino. Here you can eat very well (mainly meat) and they serve portions that you can share with several people. Do you love tapas / pinxtos, just like us? Then don’t miss the cozy tapas bar Arlotia. Although you can get good breads at the Metro supermarket, there are also some good bakeries in Barranco. One of our favorites is La Panetteria. The coffee they serve is delicious here. Other places for good coffee are Mae and Colonia & Co. Are you a fan of French cheeses and tasty sausages? Then you should go to the Delifrance shop.

Digital nomads: workplaces in Lima
Lima is a nice place to stay for a longer period of time when traveling as a ‘digital nomad’. We ended up staying there for a month because you have good WiFi (not standard in many places in South America) and nice coffee bars. There is a nice atmosphere in Barranco and there are good facilities to work online. One of our favorite workplaces in Barranco is the Sofa Café. Although it is slightly more expensive than average, there is a relaxed atmosphere and they have fast Wifi. At coffee bar Mae they also have delicious coffee and good WiFi. Do you prefer to work in a flex office? There are several workspaces in Lima, for example, take a look at the shared workspace at Selina in Miraflores.

There are more than enough taxis in Lima, but we mainly used Uber. The advantage of this is that you know the price in advance and they are usually good quality cars (unlike many taxis from the 80s). Keep in mind that it can be very busy in the city, especially during rush hour. In addition to taxis and Ubers, you can of course also use the local buses.

As at most major airports, a lot of taxi drivers approach you immediately upon arrival. Of course they start with far too high amounts and you will have to negotiate something. On average you pay a small twenty dollars for a ride from the airport to Barranco / Miraflores (note: they only accept notes without cracks) or sixty to eighty soles. To save money, try whether you can share a taxi with other tourists. The taxis in Lima have all colors, except the airport taxis: these are black / dark colored.