Every year, Mark and I take a big summer trip while Quinn is away at sleepaway summer camp. Last year, we hiked around Slovenia for a week and then roadtripped through the Dolomites, celebrating our anniversary at FORESTIS. We usually gravitate towards Europe in the summer, chasing warmth, nature, and excellent food, but I wanted to do something completely different this time—something that felt a bit more off of the beaten path. So, we decided to go to Peru and experience a Southern Hemisphere winter for three weeks.
I’ve been at a true loss for words while working on this post, because Peru was one of the most magical places I’ve ever been: the diversity of jaw-dropping landscapes, the Peruvians I met along the way and their absolute kindness, a blissful 96 hours spent completely off the grid and immersed in nature in the Amazon, disconnected from the modern world. Finally fulfilling my lifetime dream of seeing Machu Picchu and traveling there via the Belmond Hiram Bingham train (and yes, I paid for it). Witnessing condors in Colca Canyon, majestically soaring overhead with their ten-foot wingspan. Hikes where we saw no one else for hours except for local farmers and children running around.
I had so many pinch-me moments of teary-eyed gratitude! Gratitude that I get to travel, plan travel, and write about travel for a living. Gratitude that I was born on this beautiful planet and that I got to witness tarantulas nesting and capybaras foraging in the Amazon Rainforest. Gratitude that I got to hike through the second-deepest canyon in the world with not a single soul around. Gratitude for seeing the Milky Way at night, clear as day. It wasn’t all easy, but no trip is, and I’m so happy the journey unfolded in the way that it did.
Keep reading for:
Everything I did in Lima, the Amazon Rainforest, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and the Colca Canyon
My honest take on the Belmond Hiram Bingham train experience
The hotel that delighted me the most and the hotel that was a real disappointment
All of the magical hikes I did + nature I saw
A Google map of everywhere I went
Everything I’d do differently (my thoughts on altitude meds, the places I’d skip, which locations I’d be sure to check out next time)
xx,
Bella
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I didn’t know what to expect before I landed in Lima. I didn’t do much research going in, other than collecting recommendations from trusted friends and travel writer colleagues—lately I’ve realized that I love showing up in a new place and letting it reveal itself to me, slowly and serendipitously. Surprises are part of the fun of travel, and I’ve really been trying to preserve the element of the unexpected. Viral social media reviews can ruin the fun!
We spent five days total in Lima, bookending our three-week Peru trip with stays on both ends, and it really allowed us to get a feel for what life there is actually like. I could picture myself living in Miraflores or Barranco, perched on 150-foot cliffs overlooking the expansive, marbled, foamy Pacific Ocean. Lima’s been getting more buzz lately, and I think that’s usually credited to the exploding food scene. While there’s no doubt a very high concentration of World’s Best restaurants and bars in the city and I can attest that I had some truly lovely meals here, what actually stole my heart was the walkability and how much the city prioritizes paths and parks with stunning sea views. If I’m honest, I spent 3-4 hours a day moving my legs and staring at the ocean, my jaw dropping at the beauty.
Atemporal Lima — An intimate six-room stay in a 1940s Peruvian Tudor-style home. It felt like such a refuge… the beds were unbelievably cozy, the hospitality was unparalleled, and the breakfast every morning was out of this world. I’m still dreaming about the exotic assortment of fruit, perfectly ripe avocados, and homemade English muffins—served with butter and fresh house-made marmalade, of course.
Museo Larco — A highlight from Lima, and a must-visit. A gorgeous archeological museum nestled in a historic mansion with tons of pre-Columbian artifacts (the erotic statues are fascinating) and a lovely restaurant set in the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen. We didn’t eat here, but we played gin rummy and sipped on Coke Zeros and kept pinching ourselves because we felt like we were dreaming.
Amano — A small textile museum with a very beautiful garden, but it packs a punch and is definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re into art and anthropology. It’s a good way to start your Lima trip because it’s historically informative and not too touristy, and walking through the entire thing takes less than an hour.
Malecón de Miraflores walk — A scenic, six-mile stretch of cliffside parks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We walked for hours on this each day to get around, but also to take in the views! Parque del Amor is a popular stop on this walk.
Playa Las Sombrillas — This is the popular locals’ beach. Great for people-watching. Some swimming was happening, but for me, it was far too chilly.
Parque El Olivar — An old park in San Isidro littered with centuries-old olive trees. A gorgeous place to sit and read for a bit, and another excellent people-watching scene. A lot of quinceañera photoshoots were happening! This felt like a local secret.
Barranco Art Galleries — There are a lot of fun spaces to stumble around in the neighborhood. Some of my favorites were:
Dédalo — A gallery with great handmade gifts and decor. The space is huge!
Museo Jade Rivera — A small museum showcasing the works of the famed graffiti artist.
Livia Benavides Gallery — Works of art nestled inside a gorgeous old house.
Grada Galería — Not my favorite style of art per se, but they had a great selection of postcards and stamps that I’ll be sending out to paid subscribers who are part of Mindholiday Postcard Club (sign up here if you haven’t already—I’m finally sending these out later this week).
Shopping — My favorite stores were in Barranco. Here are the ones worth checking out:
UNØ — A really good selection of Peruvian brands and handmade items. Everyone who works here is incredibly helpful and sweet!
PUNA Shop Gallery — Handmade textiles, furniture, and home goods.
El Cacaotal — Excellent chocolate shop that does comprehensive tastings. We got some incredible Peruvian bars here and ate every single one within 24 hours.
Honesto — A fun gourmet grocery store with healthy snacks, treats, and gifts.
NEIRA CAFÉ LAB — Best cookies! We ended up going twice. We got the pistachio one and the chocolate one stuffed with lucuma, a South American superfood that tastes like a mixture of caramel, butterscotch, and sweet potato. They’re served warm, and the lucuma oozes out of the cookie when you break it apart—it’s a whole sensory experience.
Demo — Unbelievable pastries. We ended up going twice. You cannot go wrong here, but I really enjoyed the flan cruffin, the monkey bread, the savory cheese twist, and the guava bread. There’s also a pizza spot next door that Demo owns, and that looked incredible too.
Panadería Cultivo — Stopped here right after coming from the Colca Canyon (which felt like a food desert) and had the most magnificent toasted cheese focaccia sandwich. It cured me.
33 Revoluciones — Cute hybrid coffee shop/art gallery/record store space.
Lady Bee — Excellent cocktails and mocktails in a gorgeous space. We walked in easily, but I’d recommend a reservation if you’re set on going here. Really beautiful interiors, and really unique drinks.
clon — This was my favorite meal of the entire trip. Super hip wine bar from the Merito team (which, sadly, we didn’t have time to go to). Had the best scallops of my entire life here!
La Mar — Unbelievable ceviche. We ended up coming here twice, too. The wagyu steak nigiri and the scallop nigiri made me audibly moan.
Isolina — Fresh tiradito and more delish scallops. The perfect al fresco lunch spot.
Central — Maybe my favorite Michelin tasting menu experience, ever. Expensive, but it’s so immersive and worth it (and I usually prefer street food over tweezer food). This was a special meal to celebrate our anniversary, and we felt so taken care of!
Osaka — Excellent Peruvian/Asian fusion and incredible sushi. Sit at the counter for dinner and a show. Tell them you’re celebrating something and they’ll bring out the most delicious and refreshing sorbet and meringue with the check.
Pan Sal Aire — The perfect last dinner in Lima before heading back to NYC. After 20 days of eating trout ceviche, lomo saltado, and quinoa, we were craving Italian food. The pizza and pasta really hit the spot (good pizza is hard to find in South America), and the carbs helped me sleep the entire red-eye flight home.
Pinkberry — LOL… but I’m serious. Needed a bathroom break at the Larcomar Mall. It’s a huge shopping center overlooking the ocean, and a good halfway point on the walk from Miraflores to Barranco. It’s kind of a crazy location for a shopping center, and I’ve never seen a TGI Friday’s with such a jaw-dropping view. Anyway, sometimes you just need tart yogurt with mini chocolate chips to keep you going.
While Lima is a vast city with a population of 10 million people, it feels much, much smaller than that. This is because the tourist core is only a small, wealthy sliver of the city, and most of the people live in barrios beyond this (many without reliable electricity or running water). You can walk through the touristed neighborhoods of San Isidro, Miraflores, and Barranco in a few hours, and you can see a lot in 3-4 days.
Eat ceviche at lunch, not dinner—the fish is freshest earlier in the day, and many top cevicherías only open for lunch (La Mar included).
Lima is often gray and overcast with a fine mist called garúa June through October. It rarely rains (Lima is one of the driest cities in the world, getting less than 20mm of rain most years), but pack layers since it can feel damp and cool despite being “winter,” without dramatic temperature swings. And even though it’s colder, the UV index is still super high! It’s easy to get sunburned.
Distances that look short on a map can take 30-45 minutes by car. Build in buffer time between neighborhoods, especially during rush hour. Uber is the easiest and cheapest way to get around.
To protect Peru from over-tourism, the rest of this post is for paid subscribers. For August, all annual subscriptions are 20% off , plus if you subscribe annually you’ll receive access to join the Mindholiday Postcard Club.
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