On the 18th of January 1535, the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded “The City of Kings” (Ciudad de los Reyes) that eventually became known as Lima.  The location in which Lima was founded was never the first option in 1533 Jauja was the one of the first areas chosen by the Conquistadors however, due to the cold climate and distance from the sea made them look elsewhere. 

Francisco baptized the city “The City of Kings” it is thought the name comes from the festival that is celebrated in Spain called “Los Tres Reyes Magos” (The Three Kings) this festival now is widely celebrated across South America however, María Rostworowsk an historian suggests the city was named after the King of Spain Carlos V and his mother Juana I, Queen of Castile.

Before this, the area where Lima can be located was occupied and had been occupied for many years, when Pizarro came the area was home to the Cuismanco people and governed by Taulichusco. Some chroniclers wrote that Taulichusco received the Spanish in a friendly and courteous way and that he had already heard of their presence in Tahuantinsuyo.

Pizarro built Lima in a similar fashion to the cities in Spain, the city starting with a large plaza (square) and expands outwards. It is thought that The Presidential Palace was built on top of the home of Taulichusco and the Cathedral of Lima was built on top of a religious temple.  The construction of the new city came at the cost of indigenous people had been converted to slaves.

In 1536, Lima was attacked under the orders of Manco Inca; this was led by Inca general Quizo Yupanqui. Fierce fighting broke out on the outskirts of the city however, the outcome was unfavorable for Manco as the Spanish and their indigenous allies defeated Manco’s resistance force and the evidence of this battle can still be seen today at the archaeological site of Puruchuco in Ate.

Lima continued to grow after the rebellion was crushed however, on 26th of June 1541 the founder of Lima was assassinated in the Presidential Palace by the son of his old friend who became enemies Diego de Almagro. Cristóbal Vaca de Castro became the next colonial administrator in Peru.

In 1542 Spain designated Lima as capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the site of a Real Audiencia, the high court, in 1543. From here the Spaniards ruled over vast areas in South America.  In 1551, Peru being heavily influenced by the Catholic Church became the place where the Spanish Inquisition headquarters for South America would be opened.

Due to Lima´s growing wealth and influenced it made it a target for pirates and in 1579 the British pirate Francis Drake raided Callao and in 1615 and 1624 Callao was once again raided by the Dutch pirate Jacques L'Hermite.  To prevent further raids on the important port a fort was built under the orders of Viceroy José Manso de Velasco and in 1770 the fort Real Felipe was finished. The fort has now been converted into a museum and can still be visited today.

Another major event that occurred in Peru and in Lima was the occupation of Lima by the Chileans who took the city on January 17 1881 during the War of the Pacific, Lima was not liberated until 1883 when Peru surrendered.

Lima today is a bustling city with a population of 8 million people and although that the capital is struggling with many major issues there is always the good parts that we can find. So for the anniversary of Lima go check out the city centre as they are events and also check out the museums to find out some more interesting information of not just Lima but of Peru in general.

The Presbitero Maestro Cemetery (Cementerio Presbítero Matías Maestro) is located in Barrios Altos, Lima and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Peru and is considered the first municipal cemetery in Latin America.

The cemetery was commissioned under Viceroy Fernando de Abascal and was built between 1805 and 1808 at an estimated cost of 110,000 pesos and spanning 2 hectare on what was then the outskirts of the city of Lima, due to the rapid expansion of the city the cemetery is no longer on the outskirts. The cemetery itself is named after the architect Matías Maestro who was born in Spain in 1766, he arrived to Peru in 1790 and till his death in 1835 he helped construct and design important projects and building of Lima. 

When the cemetery was inaugurated on the 31st May 1808 it met a lot of opposition due to the fact that before this kind of burial became the norm in Latin America it was common for people to be buried beneath the churches in catacombs for example the catacombs that can be found in the San Francisco Church in downtown Lima but this was outlawed by José de San Martín. 

This cemetery contains 766 mausoleums and 92 monuments all in a neoclassic design (French and Italian design) it is also important to know the class system that is evident in this cemetery, the most distinguished people were buried it large, extravagant tombs/crypts, those who were not super rich yet had money were buried in what is called “Los nichos” these large rectangular structures in which people are buried within spaces and finally the common people were buried in ossuaries which is sort of like a common ground for burial especially if space is scarce. 

According to one historian José Bocanegra, there is an anecdote about the first person to be buried at the new site and it goes like this. It was decided that the first person to be buried at this new cemetery would the Spanish Archbishop Juan Domingo Gonzales de la Reguera however, a day before the inauguration a painter by the name of Francisco Acosta while working had an accident and died. This meant that Mr. Acosta should have been buried there first but the authorities decided to hide the body till they could bury the Archbishop first and only when that happened they could then proceed to give Mr. Acosta a proper funeral. 

Another important feature of The Presbitero Maestro Cemetery is the “Cripta de los Héroes” (The Crypt of Heroes) and is the place where those that fought in “The War of the Pacific” (1879 to 1883) were laid to rest. The central part of the crypt has 234 nichos and the sarcophagus of Andrés Avelino Cáceres (1833 to 1923). In the central part 5 ossuaries can be found these contain the remains of remains of those that were not identified but helped in the battles of Tarapacá and Angamos; Tacna and Arica; San Juan, Chorrillos and the District of Miraflores; Huamachuco; and San Pablo. Below this central level lie the remains of the heroes that Peru come to learn about during the dark years of the war these include Francisco Bolognesi, Miguel Grau Seminario and Alfonso Ugarte.

The Presbitero Maestro Cemetery is currently the resting place of 220000 people and one of the oldest tombs that remain intact is thought to be of a woman that lived in the San Juan de Dios neighborhood and was buried there in 1810, popular belief suggests she became a saint. Many people leave flowers, candles or offerings on this tomb some devoted followers tell their sins and other look for help or a miracle. 

This site was designated a National Historic Monument in 1972 but ageing, pollution from nearby factories, population pressure, and vandalism have caused significant damage to the structures, the government have tried to implement changes that will protect this site but more needs to be done to preserve the site. 

On a final note the cemetery is also a popular place for shamans or “witches” who like to practice things like black magic and such within the cemetery and of course this site as many legend and myths told differently by different people. Also some people like to take a guided tour at night around the site where popular ghost’s stories are told.

In summary this a very old and scared site that has spanned across the years holding many remains of important military and political figures but also that of the people and is in need of care because what is lost now cannot be regained, it is important we all do our best to protect such venerable sites.

By: GringoPerú

Looking at this picture many of you who are living in Lima probably have passed by it many times. It is Parque Salazar ("Salazar Park") in Miraflores next to the Commercial Centre Larcomar. 

The history of this park begins with Alfredo Salazar Southwell (1913 – 14 September 1937) a Peruvian aviator, Salazar was very studious gaining high marks in his school. He joined the Peruvian Air Force in 1932 and In 1935 he finished his military studies gaining the rank of Sub-Ensign and became a flight instructor for other cadets. By 1936 he was promoted again to the rank of Flight Officer. 

On the 14 of September 1937 while celebrating the inauguration of a monument to Jorge Chávez, the airplane he was piloting started emitting smoke while doing a rehearsal. He ordered his copilot, a mechanical technician Carlos Fajardo to abandon the aircraft using the parachute, initially he refused but then later accepted. In order to minimize damage and civilian deaths Salazar veered the aircraft out of the populated areas and crashed into a field that is now Parque Salazar, he was killed instantly. 

Salazar's quick thinking and sacrifice is remembered and he is considered a hero for this. 

The monument of the condor that stands there now was inaugurated in 1953 and is the work of a Hungarian sculptor Lajos D’Ebnet and is made of rocks found in the Highlands of Peru so the monument is not easily affected by the heat nor by the humidity.

By GringoPeru

Lomas de Lachay is located just outside the Pan-American Highway (Carretera Panamericana) North Km. 105 and is a place that I would recommend to anyone.  Here is my adventure and some advice for anyone who reads this:

First of all Lomas de Lachay was made a national reservation on the 21st 1977 and this reserve is located in the region of Lima and the province of Huaura. It expands across an area of 52,070 hectares. The best season to visit the place is in winter, between July and November because the humid season is notable for its green hills and vegetation which creates more wildlife especially birds and insects. , this mostly due to the sea air currents that create humidity, 100 % in winter with frequent showers however, during the dry season humidity is less 79 % in summer and precipitation is very rare making this place baron and brown.

Carica candicans

 Here you will find 74 plant species registered, among them 25 are on their way to extinction. Among the most notable, you will find the Peruvian papaya (Carica candicans),  (Capparis prisca), (Caesalpinia tinctoria) and the nettle (Loasa urens), which cover the reserve with yellow attractive flowers. Also, you can observe numerous gramineous, tillandsias and succulents.

The common mammals found here are the rodents, but you can also find other species like the Sechuran Zorro(fox) (Pseudalopex sechurae), the Andean Skunk (Conepatus rex), the mountain mouse (Phyllotis spp.) and the vizcacha (Lagidium peruanum).

Throughout the reserve there exists approximately 55 bird species pertaining to 16 families, among them are: the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), the Andean Tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii), the American Krestrel (Falco sparverius peruvianus) and diverse species of hummingbirds.

Among the most notorious reptiles, you can observe the peruvian snake (Bothrops pictus) and the Curl Tail Lizard (Tropidurus sp.). There are also many arthropods.

You may get to this location through tour guides but be careful when I a booked a tour to this place the company was unreliable and cancelled the bus at the last moment. Just to let you know and don't get scammed byt them here is the name and link of the company:


Ok, let's continue xD hehehe I got a bit emotional ... Now you can make your own way there and it is pretty straight forward and can be an adventure.



I would recommend that you travel to the street called Jr. Sandia and look for the company called “Empresa de Transportes San Martín de Porres” it is a small bus company that goes all the way to Huacho, there is only one bus fare from Lima either to Chancay or Huacho (S/.12.00 soles). Remember to ask the travel assistant on the bus to tell you when you reach km 105 because Huacho is past Lomas de Lachay, to get to this location from Lima is about 2 to 3 hours.

Part of the entrance...still not in the main place

When you get off the bus you will find yourself in the middle of the desert there are buses that are running to Lomas De Lachay and if you are lucky like I was you can hitchhike on one of these buses to the entrance if not you may find yourself walking for a good 1 to 2 hours to the entrance.  

The entrance is mark with a small cabin and you can see the Peruvian flag waving there, there will be a park warden there who will sell you the tickets, the price for entrance is S/.10.00 soles per a person and it is cheaper for children (S/.3.00 soles) and elderly people (free ticket).

My 5 tickets for me and the family, also they provide you  a brochure with info about the place

OK so now you have your ticket but guess what? This is not really where the trek begins if you don’t have transport you will have to walk for a further 40 minutes till you reach the visitors centre. In my opinion it is a much better option to walk, you get to see soo much more and can take a lot more pictures to.


Remember to vigilant when walking as there are many vehicles that pass, just move to the side and let them pass and you shall be fine.


When you reach the visitors centre another park warden will be there and he or she will inform you about the different routes there is. 

There are two main routes the “The Circuit of the Fox” this will take you approximately 20 mins to complete and then you have “The Circuit of the Piquial” which can take up to 2 hours to complete both connect so you can complete both in the same walk if you wish.


 The routes are lined with signs to guide you through but be careful over time people who have the tendencies to be lazy have carved short-cuts that sometimes can be a bad idea to follow as I found out.



The paths can be rough to walk on so bring good walking boots as there are holes, uneven ground and steep winding paths up the mountain side. As I mention one such shortcut I took, took me up a steep part of the mountain and it became soo steep and hard to climb I had to stabilize myself my climbing up on all fours, this was hard but I must admit it was fun.


When you reach the top of the mountain you can really appreciate the breath taking view of the landscape around you, the green valleys below and in the distant you can see the harsh desert sands and the sea.  The sun can be harsh here and if you are like me who roasts under the sun then bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; I made the mistake of not doing this and paid a high price. I am now the colour of freshly cooked lobster hahaah. 


When looking down on the valleys you may see some structures, these structures are from the Pre-Columbian cultures. At the same time, you can appreciate the huge granite and diorite rocks which have worn away over time leaving concavities and soft contours.

This one reminds me of  Hancock and the heart logo Will Smith makes in the moon

Regarding animals and insects you may not find many depending on the season and due to the amount of people most of the animals go into hiding however, you may see a lot of snails and bird and oh if you dislike wasps then be warned this can be seen and heard flying around for most of the trek. (Pictures are at the beginning of this article) 

Finally you will start to climb back down but be careful as some paths as mentioned before can be difficult at the bottom you can buy yourself  something to eat at the café that is located there.


Again, if you are like me who did not bring transportation you will have to walk all the way back to the highway this is very tough especially if you are tired and then faced with a long walk under the sun but I truly enjoyed it and always love to face a good walk with good spirit. 

When you reach the highway there is neither an official bus stop nor a place to catch the bus so just take care when crossing the road and when you make it to the other side just wave down a bus that comes by and ask if they will take you to Lima, the cost once again is about 12 soles. Another important note to remember is that not all buses will stop especially buses from large well-known companies such as Cruz Del Sur, Exclusiva and Tepsa but buses like Z Bus and Barranca Tours are more likely to pull over for you. 

All in all this place is truly a wonderful site to visit and we all should do our best to look after it, if you see some litter on the way it would be a nice gesture to pick it up and place it in the bin that are on the route. If you travel here and find something new or a new route lets us know and once again sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat and good boots are essential. 

I really hope you've enjoyed reading my experience and now you are ready to live yours!

Tourism in the East of Lima is something that you may not hear about all too often and some places are not even explored by many people so here is some places that I think everyone who is looking for some amazing places outside of Miraflores can go to visit:

Marcahuasi is located in Huarochirí, Lima and is a plateau in the Andes Mountains located 4000 meters above sea level which was first investigated by Daniel Ruzo (1900-1991) in the 1950´s. What is unique about this place is the large diorite rocks that appear in humanoid or animal shapes. The most notable ones are “Monument to Humanity" or "Inca Face (Pecca Gasha)" a gigantic mass of granite, from different angles can clearly see several human profiles. Then there are the goddess Thueris, the Anfichelidia, the valley of seals, the African lion, the vicuña and the Toad. 

What origin of these “sculptures” are debated by many people for example scientists believe that they were created through a natural process through erosion and ancient glaciers that once may have been present in that area but others believe that they may have been sculptured by an ancient civilization (The Masma Culture).  The work of Mr. Ruzo is hotly debated and one that I would suggest you have look at; in my opinion it is very interesting.   

When visiting this place many suggest you bring all the supplies you need due to the fact that this place is kind of isolated and getting supplies there would be difficult. 

For more information on how to get there and tourist information visit http://www.marcahuasi.com/index.php this site also offers an English version.

Also located in Huarochirí, Lima is Cañón de Autisha now this amazing place is 170 meters below the ground. 

So if you like to go caving and hiking this is the perfect spot to do it. To explore this place there is a fee of 5 soles for each person before entry. There are many tour agencies that will take you there on a tour or if you are feeling brave you could travel with friend but remember to always be careful. 

Also in the East of Lima you will find a district called Ate a district that is kind of hectic and industrial however here lies some historical gems these include: Monticulos de Huaycán, Huaycán de Pariachi, Quebrada Seca, Gloria Grande and San Juan de Pariachi.

The most well know places of Ate when concerning historical and tourist places are places like:

Cajamarquilla which lies on the boarder of the San Juan Lurigancho district of Lima. This place is believed to have been occupied by the Wari people around 500 AD who built on an early remains of past settlements. Cajamarquilla had an estimated population of 15,000 and most of the structures that were built here were made of adobe which all formed into a major commercial, administrative and military city. The downfall of this city and the civilizations that occupied it have been associated with climate change and natural disasters especially due to the changes of El Niño. This place is supposed to be protected and is recognized by the Instituto Nacional de Cultura but due to the overpopulation of the area illegal settlements have been built around it and a lot of this historical gem has been destroyed and damaged due to this also due to littering and illegal dumping of waste. 

Another site of interest that lies in Ate is Puruchuco, what can be found here is the remains of a palace and a cemetery. Here archaeologist unearthed over 2200 Inca mummies all buried in the traditional fetal pose and buried along with precious objects like ceramics and food. One amazing findings in this place was the finding of the “Cotton King” "El Rey del Algodón" a body found wrapped up in cotton and who wearing a feather hat, interesting the name Puruchuco is a Quechuan word meaning “feather hat”.

During excavations of this site there was numerous skeletal remains not found in the traditional fetal pose and what may found here is the remains of the Inca people who took part in the Great Inca Rebellion on Lima in 1535. Most of the skeletons were found badly damaged due to the weaponry that the Spaniards carried with them also some had gunshot damage. This really highlighted the violence that these people faced under Spanish conquest.  The Incas ultimately failed to defeat the Spanish and the bodies that were left behind were buried quickly and unceremoniously. 

This site is also another victim of the unyielding population explosion in Lima with vandalism and illegally settlements causing irreparable damaged to the site.

This place is relatively easy to get as it is in a busy part of Ate and most buses will pass by there and there is only a small fee to enter.