Lima
Lima, the capital, once the center of the Spanish empire in South America, is an exciting city that moves at a frenetic pace. Many of its colonial buildings fell victim to earthquakes and urban planning, but it still has some beautiful architecture and an enormous range of museums.
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro considered the site where he founded Lima on January 18, 1535, inhospitable – rain seldom fell, earthquakes were common and winter was a time of gray skies and dreary wet fog. But his soldiers saw it as the best place for a quick sea escape in the event of an Indian uprising. Little did they suspect this open plain would become the political and military capital of the New World, seeing the reigns of 40 viceroys before the “City of Kings” was declared capital of an independent Peru in 1821.
Top Sites and Attractions
– City Center of Lima, Outside Lima City Center
Features
– Saints and Sinners, The Scandalous Tapadas