El Malecón - Lima, Peru
by Rebecca Hollman
updated May 15, 2019
El Malecón - Lima Peru
Lima is Peru’s capital and largest city. Home to roughly 9 million people, it is Peru’s largest city and the third largest city in the Americas behind São Paulo and Mexico City. Lima is a massive, sprawling city but the most popular districts are the downtown historical center, the Miraflores barrio and the Barranco barrio. Downtown is known for it’s cathedrals, historical buildings and museums, Miraflores is known for it’s fine dining and ocean views (Lima is the only western facing capital in the world on the coast), and Barranco is known for it’s street art, coffee shops and Bohemian vibes.
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About Miraflores
Miraflores is the upscale and trendy neighborhood of Miraflores - with some of the most expensive restaurants in South America and an abundance of stuff to see. It is the most common tourist area of Lima and is therefore where most people end up staying. Miraflores is pretty spread out and you will likely need to take an Uber/taxi within Miraflores to reach the different attractions. Barranco is about 15-20 minutes away from Miraflores and the downtown historic district is about 30 minutes away from Miraflores.
About El Malecón
Miraflores is located along the coast and one of its most popular attractions is El Malecón. This multi-purpose path runs for kilometres along most of the Costa Verde. It is a great path for walking, running, biking, skateboarding, etc. and is great for people watching and for watching the sunset over the ocean. You can walk along the path for almost the entirety of Miraflores, heading into Barranco, and so it’s a great way to spend the day covering lots of ground of Miraflores. Hop off and back on at any point. You can also veer off and take a bridge across the main highway down to the ocean at multiple points to watch the surfers and the waves crash. There are also a good amount of cafes and restaurants located along the path.
The path stretches for over 6 miles and is technically split into three separate sections. The southernmost section of the Malecón is the Malecón Armendáriz, also known as the Malecón de la Reserva, which borders the district of Barranco. Head further north and you’ll cross the Villena Rey Bridge to the central section of the Malecón, Malecón Cisneros. North of this is the third and final part of the coastal path, the Malecón de la Marina.
Popular Attractions Along El Malecón:
Sculptures and art installations
The lighthouse of Miraflores
Paragliding
Surfing
The Villena Rey Bridge
Rent a bike and cruise up and down the pathway looking for all the sculptures and admiring the dramatic coastline dropping off into the ocean below. If you want, you could also rent a board at Waikiki Beach or take your own board down to Punta Roquitas. Other options for fun include paragliding. For $50, you can take a 10-minute flight with a trained parasailing guide; buy tickets at the small kiosk at Block 2 of the Malecón. Rides are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, winds permitting.
