Lima - A not too attractive, big, spread out city

 


Lima is a city that has some nice areas, but overall it is a large and unappealing place. Tourists tend to like Miraflores, with its modern and western vibe, but other coastal areas like San Isidoro, Barranco, and Chorrillos have a similar atmosphere. While the beaches are generally gravelly and more suited for surfing, Chorrillos does have some pleasant options. The Historic Centre boasts colonial Spanish buildings that are nice, but not particularly noteworthy. There was plenty of restoration work underway at the time of my visit, and once completed, the centre will likely be more upscale and westernized. China Town is a bustling area that offers an intriguing blend of a real Peruvian market with the usual feel of a traditional Chinatown. The modern city center is also quite ordinary and sprawling. The remainder of Lima is made up of vast outlying suburbs with long, seemingly endless roads and a rather mundane cityscape. The impoverished surrounding suburbs are reminiscent of typical Latin American neighborhoods, with crowded streets, buildings that look unfinished and brightly-colored hillside shanties.
























































































































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