Lima LIM: 10 Hours in the Best Food City in the Americas
Lima is the food capital of South America. Three of the world's 50 best restaurants are here. Most US travelers fly through Jorge Chavez on the way to Cusco and sit in the terminal eating airport sandwiches. That is the wrong choice. Miraflores is 40 minutes away, and 10 hours is enough.
Getting to Miraflores
Airport Express Lima runs a bus from Jorge Chavez to Miraflores (Larco Avenue stops) every 15-30 minutes for about $5. Taxis cost $25-35 and take 30-50 minutes. Uber works and runs $15-20. The bus is the easiest option if you're not in a rush.
Visa
US passport holders enter Peru visa-free for up to 183 days. No application, no fee. Immigration at Lima is straightforward. Have your onward ticket and accommodation details (even if temporary — you can say hotel name in Miraflores).
What to eat
Ceviche at La Mar (Calle La Mar 770, Miraflores) is the benchmark — $20-30 for a meal, open from noon. For something cheaper, the cevicherias along Avenida Benavides serve excellent ceviche for $8-12. Causa (chilled potato with tuna or chicken) and tiradito (raw fish in aji amarillo) are worth ordering wherever you sit.
The seafront
Miraflores sits on cliffs above the Pacific. The Malecon — the clifftop walkway — has paragliders launching from the edge most afternoons ($80-100 for a tandem flight if you want to join them). Walking the Malecon from Parque del Amor to Larcomar takes 30 minutes and is one of the better urban walks in South America.
Time math
Getting there: 40 min. Malecon walk: 30 min. Lunch: 60-90 min. Coffee and walk: 30 min. Return to airport: 50 min (add buffer for traffic). Buffer at airport: 90 min. Total: about 6-7 hours of city time needed. You want at least a 10-hour layover. Shorter than that, you're rushing.