FACT BOX
Eating isn’t a bad way to spend 24 hours in Lima. But if you want to squeeze in a few additional activities, here’s how . . .
WHERE TO STAY
Atemporal, Miraflores
Just like its cuisine, Lima’s architecture is a mish-mash of styles. A survivor from the 1940s, this proud mansion mixes turrets with a mock Tudor facade and lattice windows, and even bears the original owner’s coat of arms.
Opened as a hotelito (small hotel) last year, the nineroom property sits on a leafy residential street in upmarket Miraflores, a 10-minute walk from Astrid y Gaston and even closer to grand pre-Inca pyramid Huaca Pucllana.
Jazz streams through internet radio in rooms and tea in china cups is available all day in a mezzanine lounge. Exploring the city is incredibly easy: the hotel offers a free chauffeur service around the local area and guests have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot for the duration of their stay.
If booked in advance, the hotel can arrange special food tours (minimum three-night stay), with tastings and reservations at top restaurants. Visit atemporal.pe WHERE TO DRINK
Hotel B, Barranco
Also housed in a grand mansion, this was the first boutique hotel to open in Lima a few years ago. Corridors are filled with modern art and daring sculptures.
Once the art tour is over, retreat to the densely dark, clandestine bar where minutes become hours and one pisco sour easily segues into another. A mixture of modern European and Peruvian, the food is also respectable.
Located at the gateway to the trendy Barranco district, next door to Miraflores, the hotel is a short walk from photographer Mario Testino’s gallery. Visit hotelb.pe
WHERE TO LUNCH
La Mar Cebicheria, Miraflores
This casual ceviche restaurant does a roaring lunchtime trade beneath a roof of bamboo and palms. Arrive early however (before 1pm), and you’ll get a table without a reservation.
Fresh fish options are scrawled daily on a chalkboard, although it’s worth opting for the speciality — ceviche. Start with a moreish snack of warm, salted fried corn, and choose from a seasonally changing menu. Service is sharp and snappy. Visit lamarcebicheria.com
WHERE TO GO (WHEN NOT EATING)
Larco Museum, Pueblo Libre
If you can manage to take a break between meals, head to Lima’s triumphant museum of pre-Colombian archaeological treasures. From Miraflores, it’s a 40-minute taxi ride across town but well worth the journey.
Housed within a bougainvillea-draped, whitewashed mansion, the collection includes sophisticated pottery from the Moche people and some conversation-sparking erotic pieces in a separate gallery. Visit museolarco.org