An awesome city : Magdalena del Mar, Lima and penthouses to rent: South of central Lima in Pueblo Libre is the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, more commonly called the Larco Museum. The 18th-century viceroy mansion that houses it was built on the site of a pre-Columbian pyramid from the 7th century. The Larco Museum contains a huge collection of more than 40,000 pieces of Peruvian ceramics, a large portion of which is from the Moche and Chimu cultures. These are not all on display at once. There is also an excellent collection of gold work, along with some textiles, stone carvings, and metalwork.
Head to Museo Larco for, of all things, some erotic pre-Columbian pottery. The museum is located in an 18th-century building and has a large archaeological collection, including a lot of Peru’s pre-Colombian art, but it is most famous for its collection of erotic pottery. There are also changing temporary exhibitions. At the Miraflores boardwalk you can paraglide over the upscale beach city and the Pacific Ocean. If the sun is out, you’ll have a beautiful view of the Pacific and of Lima’s beach neighborhoods. It cost around $70 for 10 minutes.
There are plenty of excellent art museums in Lima, with the most famous being the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), located on the northern edge of the Parque de la Exposicion and hosting objects covering 3,000 years of history, including a superb collection of religious paintings from the Cusquena School. Further south in Barranco, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Lima (MAC Lima) is a good place to sink your teeth into modern and contemporary art. Look out for evening events (En Lima has a list of what’s happening in Lima’s museums) where you can sometimes meet the artists. Don’t miss the nearby MATE, Museo Mario Testino, where spacious rooms are filled with the work of the acclaimed photographer, who rose to fame with his portraits of her Royal Highness, Princess Diana.
Iglesia Inmaculada Corazon de Maria (corner of Sucre and 28 de Julio) is the neighborhood’s main landmark. The church’s unique 5-story teal and pink dome is visible from most of the neighborhood, especially at night when the church’s facade is brightly lit. It is topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary by Ariquepeno artist Freddy Luque Sonco. Magdalena’s Malecon is a work in progress, and although it’s not as beautiful as Miraflores’, it can be a pleasant place for a walk in the sunset—just avoid young necking couples and the kids on bikes, as it seems to be a popular place to go when you’re learning to lose the training wheels (take that how you will). See a few more pictures of this amazing ocean view penthouse on Facebook. Need a place to rent in Lima, Peru? Find a few extra info at Amazing ocean view penthouse in Magdalena del Mar, Lima.
The Torre Tagle Palace is a stately looking building that blends several architectural styles in downtown Lima. The building blends Moorish, Andalusian, Asian and Criollo features, with even some materials coming from Spain. Two dark wood balconies grace the front of this Spanish Baroque building, while the interior features high ceilings and Sevillian tiles. The palace was built in the early 1700s s a home for the nobleman who served as treasurer for the Royal Spanish fleet. Today, it houses the offices of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meaning it is generally not open for public visits.