After a brief stop at Huaca Pucllana with your bilingual guide, we’ll drive to the historic center of Lima, all of which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We’ll go to the beautiful Plaza de Armas (Lima’s main square) which is surrounded by impressive colonial and Republican-era buildings, many of which have ornate wooden balconies. Some of Peru’s most important buildings surround the square, including the Government Palace, The Cathedral of Lima, The Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union.
Next, we’ll walk one block to the Convent of San Francisco, founded in the 1530s and completed in 1766, it is one of the most important religious buildings in PeruThe Monastery of San Francisco was blessed in the 17th century, 1673 to be precise, but wasn’t completed until 1774. Over the years, it’s withstood several serious earthquakes in Lima and had its fair share of damage from some of them. San Francisco’s library, which holds over 25,000 Spanish, English and Quechua books from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Shelves and shelves of ancient books are stacked above each other in the ornately decorated room. Many of the library’s books are now so old and delicate that they can only be handled by the Franciscan monks themselves. There’s even a version of the Bible dating from 1571. The Convento is built around a peaceful central garden filled with mango and lucuma fruit trees. Above the beautiful tile-work, you may be able to spot the series of murals depicting the life of St Francis of Assisi (to whom the Convento and Church are dedicated to, and named after).
Some of the murals have been restored. Strangely though, all those that haven’t have chunks missing from the artwork and no one knows why – all a bit bizarre but beautiful nonetheless. The cloisters lead to a series of rooms, each one filled with something a little different. One is filled with ceiling frescoes and a magnificent golden centerpiece depicting angels, flowers, and fruit surrounding the Virgin Mary. The main feature here is Diego de la Puerto’s 1696 painting of The Last Supper. Sure, we’ve all seen pictures of the last supper before but have you ever seen one with guinea pigs and potatoes as part of the meal?
Descend into the foundations of the church and you will find the Monastery of San Francisco Lima catacombs – the largest catacombs in Lima. During Inca times, people were buried under important places. When the Spaniards arrived, they changed this tradition so that people were buried under the churches instead. Over 25,000 people were buried in the catacombs up until 1808. They were closed and then forgotten about until they were rediscovered and reopened in 1947. Whether you like the idea of descending into the catacombs or not, there is a somewhat macabre fascination with the way the bones have been organized into patterns and shapes.
Pachacamac Temple
The huge archaeological site of Pachacamac is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Lima. The site originates back to 200 AD and flourished for about 1,300 years until the Spanish conquistadors invaded Peru. It became one of the most important sites in ancient Peru, and archaeological evidence shows that it was visited by members of various civilizations from across Peru. When the Inca Empire invaded the region, it took control of Pachacamac. However, the Incas respected the site’s religious importance and continued to maintain it as a sacred site, even allowing the Pachacamac priests to continue with their work, independent of the Inca priesthood.
The Incas expanded the site, building five additional buildings including the Temple of the Sun on the main square, the Old Temple, the Painted Temple, and the Acllahausi. The Acllahausi, where Inca women prepared for their ritual sun worship, is the only one of its kind left in Peru.
During our tour of this fascinating site, we’ll walk to all of the main structures and features of Pachacamac. From the highest point of the complex, we’ll have wonderful views along the coast of The Pacific.
We will then return to Lima where we will drop you off at your hotel.
