Background
Although severely damaged by earthquakes, this City of the Kings was, until the middle of the 18th century, the capital and most important city of the Spanish dominions in South America. UNESCO says many of its buildings, such as the Convent of San Francisco, the largest of its type in this part of the world, came from collaboration between local craftspeople and others from the Old World.
Founded on 18 January 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, Lima was the political, administrative, religious and economic capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The World Heritage zone sits inside the larger Monumental Zone declared in 1972, its buildings marked with the organisation's black-and-white shield, across the districts of Lima and Rímac.
- 1535Francisco Pizarro founds Lima on 18 January
- 16th–18th c.Capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru
- 1972The Monumental Zone is declared
- 1988Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Plaza de ArmasThe cathedral, the Government Palace and the arcades.
- 2San FranciscoThe monastery, its library and the catacombs.
- 3Congress and Plaza BolívarThe seat of Congress, completed in 1908.
- 4Correo CentralThe glass-covered arcade next to the Government Palace, a 19th-century copy of one in Brussels.
- 5Hotel BolívarOn Plaza San Martín, once host to John Wayne and Orson Welles.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
The Historic Centre
From the GoGo Lima guide · Open the Lima Guide ›
- 09:30Plaza de Armas and Cathedral45 minThe main square.
- 10:30San Francisco Monastery Catacombs75 minThe monastery and its bones.
- 13:00Ceviche at a Cevichería90 minLunch in Miraflores.
- 19:30Magic Water Circuit75 minFountains and lights in the park.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: all year.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
