About LIMA

Lima, the capital city of Peru, is located in the central coast of the country, in a valley along a desert overlooking the Pacific Ocean, at sea level. It was originally named the “City of Kings” because it was the capital of the Spanish colonial empire in South America during the XVI and XVII centuries.

Today there are nearly nine million habitants and the city shelters immigrants from all parts of the globe, which has transformed it into a mixed city of cultural and ethnic diversity.

Nowadays, in Lima many historical and cultural heritages still remain, in the historic center, placed by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage List since 1992, you can visit splendid samples of colonial architecture such as the Cathedral, the Convent of Santo Domingo and the Convent of San Francisco, as well as fantastic wood-carved balconies.

In Lima you can also find numerous and varied museums like the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History, the Golden Museum and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, which guards priceless Incan and pre-Incan treasures.

Situated in the heart of the city are great archaeological monuments such as the Huallamarca Huaca or the Pucllana Huaca. On the outskirts of Lima facing the ocean is Pachacamac, the most important pre-Incan sanctuary on the coast, built in the third century AD.

Brief facts

Official language

The Official Language is Spanish. However, English is also widely spoken.

Religion

Roman Catholic: 89,03%, Evangelical: 6,73%, Other religions: 2,56%, Any Religion: 1.65%.

Climate

Lima and the Peruvian coast offer the four customary seasons: summer from January to March, autumn from April to June, winter from July to September and spring from October to December.

From June to November the weather in Lima becomes cloudy and humidity can reach up to 90 percent. This humidity produces passing morning fog and persistent low clouds. Due to the high humidity, the temperature may appear to be lower than it actually is.

Currency

Peruvian currency is known as “Nuevos Soles” (S/.). Peruvian coins have the following denominations: 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 Nuevo Sol, 2 Nuevos Soles and 5 Nuevos Soles. Currency notes are issued in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Nuevos Soles. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks and moneychangers. Approximately 1US$ is equivalent to 2.8 Nuevos Soles (as of July 17, 2014). US dollars are widely accepted.

Electricity

Electric current in Peru is 220 volts and 60 Hz. Flat blade attachments and flat blades with round grounding pin and round pin attachment plugs are commonly used in Peru.

In addition, most four and five-star hotels offer 110-volt electric current for shavers.

Business hours

Banks open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:30 hours.

Internet

Broadband and wireless internet services are available in all major hotels and at the meeting venues.

Local Time

Eastern Standard Time (GMT – 5).

Tourism

As a country with an ancient history also has a diverse geography and cultures, in Peru can make different types of tourism, depending on the interest of each visitor, such as world heritage archaeology, urban tourism, living cultures, popular festivities, experiential tourism, adventure tourism and others.

Gastronomy

Peruvian cuisine deserves a special mention. It is a blend of Amerindian and Spanish food with strong influences from African, Arab, Italian, Chinese and Japanese cooking.

All of these influences result in a very special and delicious cuisine that has recently received wide acclaim due to its diversity of ingredients and techniques.

Lima offers a wide variety of restaurants where you will be able to taste delicious dishes

Tourist Information

The Tourist Information and Assistance Service or I-Peru is a free service that offers official tourism information on attractions, routes, destinations and tourist services companies. For more information: http://www.peru.travel/iperu.aspx

Shopping Centers

Shops and other sales outlets in Lima are generally open from 10:00 to 21:00 hours on weekdays, as well as Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. Major credit cards are widely accepted. Handicraft Shops:
• La Marina Avenue, block 6-8, Pueblo Libre District
• Petit Thouars Avenue, block 48-52, Miraflores District