Miraflores: the cliffs, an earthen pyramid and a base for exploring

Understanding Miraflores

The district was created on 2 January 1857 and owes its name to the Miraflores charterhouse, near Burgos, in Spain. Long an area of farms and country houses between Lima and the sea, it became a residential neighbourhood in the 20th century and then the city’s main hotel hub. On 15 January 1881, during the War of the Pacific, the Battle of Miraflores pitted Peruvian troops, including reservists, against the Chilean army, which then took Lima: Parque Reducto No. 2 keeps its memory alive.

Its landscape comes from its location: the neighbourhood sits on cliffs of earth and pebbles that drop into the Pacific. Below, the Costa Verde, a coast road, runs along a series of beaches. Above, the malecón promenade links the parks over several kilometres. It is this line of cliffs, more than the buildings, that gives Miraflores its identity.

Beyond Parque Kennedy: six places to know

The Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion deserves a special mention: it explains the internal armed conflict that claimed tens of thousands of victims in the country. The visit is powerful; it helps you understand today’s Peru and the memory of the Andean regions you may travel through.

The municipality also offers themed routes: in the footsteps of Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, or discovering the old houses of Avenida Arequipa and the sculptures by Peruvian artists in public spaces.

The quintas, Miraflores before the tower blocks

Before the tower blocks, Miraflores was made up of low houses: the single-storey “ranchitos” of the early 20th century, like Ricardo Palma’s house, then the quintas, small groups of houses set along a lane. The city council lists several, including the Quinta Bustos, built in 1935 at number 562 on Avenida 28 de Julio, with its arched doors and moulded frames; others bear the names Prado, Leuro or Reducto (Visita Miraflores). They are homes: admire them from the street.

The sea, from above and from below

The Costa Verde beaches are reached by steep paths down (“bajadas”). The Pacific water there is cold all year round, because of the Humboldt Current, and the waves attract surfers and surf schools. Swimming is not the main attraction: people come to look, walk, or take a surfing lesson with a school. If you want to swim, ask locally which beach has a lifeguard that day.

Three ways to spend the day

Half a day. The walking route below, then lunch near Parque Kennedy: a ceviche at the counter of Al Toke Pez, Calle Manuel Bonilla, or a table from the restaurants section.

A full day. Huaca Pucllana in the morning (the archaeological area has little shade), lunch, then the clifftop route in the afternoon and sunset at the Parque del Amor.

A grey day or a day of garúa. From June to September, the coastal mist often covers the city. Favour the LUM, the Ricardo Palma house or a museum (Larco, MALI) and keep the walk for a clearer afternoon.

Getting around and finding information

• On foot: the malecón and the streets around Parque Kennedy are easy to walk, and Barranco is 3.6 km, about 50 minutes from Parque Kennedy.
• The municipal tourist bus, hop-on hop-off, leaves from Parque Alfredo Salazar: for a foreign visitor, S/ 35 for one loop and S/ 95 for the day, ticket valid for 24 hours, from 9:00 to 18:00, according to the city council’s website (Visita Miraflores).
• To the historic centre: the Metropolitano, from the Ricardo Palma or Benavides stations. See getting around Lima.
• Tourist information: there is an information centre on Avenida José Larco, block 7, open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00.

Staying in Miraflores

The rest of the criteria (humidity, noise, hot water, windows) are detailed in Where to stay in Lima.