Small pleasures of Lima: what really makes you feel Peru

Swimming with sea lions, off Callao

Off the port of Callao, the Palomino Islands are part of a national reserve managed by SERNANP. About 5,000 South American sea lions live there, along with Humboldt penguins, pelicans and cormorants. You go out in the morning, by boat, and some operators offer to let you get into the water near the sea lions: a rare moment, in the water, surrounded by sea lions.

The reserve’s rules. The outing must be made with an operator authorised by SERNANP, between 7:00 and 14:30; a life jacket worn at all times, a minimum distance of 30 m from the edge of the islands, watching limited to 20 minutes, no feeding and no noise to attract the animals (SERNANP). The reserve’s entry fee, S/ 11, is added to the price of the boat.

Before booking, ask whether swimming is included, whether a wetsuit is provided, as the water is cold all year round, and what happens if the sea is rough. In the water, keep your distance and do not touch the animals. Out at sea, the boat rolls: take precautions if you get seasick. See Callao and La Punta.

Paragliding over the Miraflores cliffs

Seen from above, Lima makes sense: the cliffs, the Costa Verde, the waves and the city stopping dead at the edge of the Pacific. Flights take off from Parque Antonio Raimondi, on the Miraflores malecón, where the municipality has regulated the activity since flights resumed in December 2023, together with two pilots’ associations: certified pilots take passengers up in tandem, from 8:00 to 18:00, and a marshal on duty at all times assesses the weather and organises take-offs and landings (Canal N).

Flying depends on the wind: sometimes you have to wait, or come back another day. The FDFA points out that safety and equipment vary widely in high-risk sports: ask to see the pilot’s licence and check that your insurance covers the activity. See Miraflores.

A boat and a line, with the fishermen of Chorrillos

At the foot of the Morro Solar, the Chorrillos fishermen’s wharf lives to the rhythm of small-scale fishing: in the morning you see the fish being landed, and stalls serve ceviche made with the day’s catch. According to our information from October 2026, fishermen on the wharf also offer short boat trips around the bay, and some take people line fishing. Nothing is posted: agree on the route, the duration, the price and the life jacket on the spot before you get in.

On days of abnormal swell, the wharf is closed and the boats stay ashore, as in December 2024 (Gestión): check the day before. See Chorrillos.

A D’Onofrio ice cream, from the seller in yellow

It is a sound every Limeño knows: the horn of the ice-cream seller pushing his yellow cart through parks, along the promenades and near the beaches. The story begins in 1897, when the Italian Pedro D’Onofrio settled in Lima with his family and sold his ice cream from a wooden cart pushed by hand; his first product was a cream ice called “Imperial”, and the man pushing the cart played a horn to announce he was coming. The yellow carts soon became a familiar sight on the streets of Lima; the brand has belonged to Nestlé since 1997 (Gestión).

No need to look for one: when you hear the horn, wave. An ice lolly on the edge of the malecón, facing the Pacific, is a small Lima ritual.

And all those little things

• An emoliente on a street corner, in the morning or evening, from an emolientero’s cart. See drinks.
• A ceviche at lunchtime, like the Limeños, at a counter where the fish arrives in the morning. See ceviche.
• Picarones, those ring-shaped doughnuts coated in chancaca syrup. See the picarones recipe.
• An Inca Kola, the yellow lemon verbena soft drink, with a chaufa or a pollo a la brasa. See drinks.
• Turrón de Doña Pepa in October, at the time of the Señor de los Milagros processions. See festivals and calendar.
• The sunset over the Pacific, from the Miraflores malecón or the Barranco lookout. See Barranco.
• The fountains of the Circuito Mágico del Agua, lit up in the evening. See the Circuito Mágico.
• A morning market, to taste fruit you have never seen. See markets.

A few tips to make the most of it

• Mornings for the sea: trips out to the islands leave in the morning, and it is in the morning that the fish arrives at the Chorrillos wharf.
• Flexibility for paragliding: keep it for a free afternoon, in case you need to come back.
• Small notes: ice-cream sellers, emolienteros and stalls are mostly paid in cash.
• Your phone put away by the water and on the promenades: see safety.