Lima

Brief information

Lima was founded as the “City of Kings,” but the name of the Rímac River took root instead. This immediately sets up the city’s main contrast: the Spanish capital of colonial South America received its recognizable name not from the founders’ solemn formula, but from a local hydronym. The historic center, included on the UNESCO list, is not by the ocean, but about 15 kilometers from it, on the bank of the Rímac.

The city stands between the Pacific Ocean, river valleys, and the Andes. Lima is therefore read not only through its squares and buildings, but also through its relief: from the seafront at sea level to the surrounding mountains. Another important backdrop is the climate: the cold Humboldt Current and the proximity of the Andes produce high humidity, fog, and an almost complete absence of rain.

What to notice right away

One can compare three lines that explain Lima’s structure. The first is the Rímac and the historic center: the city began as a colonial capital, but the name that became established for it is connected with the river and a local name. The second is the ocean and Callao: the port is formally separate, yet it is surrounded by Lima on three sides and has effectively merged with it, so the coastal part of the city reads as a continuation of the capital system rather than as an independent outskirts.

In the architecture, it makes sense to notice not a single style, but the coexistence of different sources. Colonial buildings are described as a mixture of Spanish and Indigenous features, which in Peru was called the Creole style. Nearby there may be Mudéjar structures with Moorish influence and modern buildings. A separate clue to reading the city is the former Desamparados railway station: its building now houses the House of Peruvian Literature, and its former transport function has been transformed into a cultural one.