Around the World in Reality: Lima, Peru

Last year, we spent Christmas week in Chile and really enjoyed the experience. The warm weather was perfect, the food was delicious and culture permeated the city. In May 2023, we had a trip planned but were unfortunately unable to travel. In craving a similar experience to last year and having an itinerary already created, Lima was a logical choice for the holiday season.

Travel Day – December 24

Our travel day got off to an early start, marked by a rookie mistake—I forgot to book parking in advance. Fortunately, we found an open lot that didn’t break the bank, allowing us to arrive at the airport on time. The first leg of our journey took us to Atlanta, where we faced a five-hour layover spent in the Delta Sky Club.

The subsequent six-hour flight from Atlanta to Lima felt a bit longer despite being mostly uneventful with just a touch of turbulence. Upon arrival in Lima, we eventually located our driver, who quickly took us on our way. However, our journey took an unexpected turn when we pulled up to a traffic light, and police officers began checking drivers’ information. Our driver had a brief exchange with them and was signaled to pull off the road—an unfamiliar situation for us.

The encounter lasted about 15 minutes, resulting in our driver receiving some form of citation. While I caught snippets of the conversation, the exact reason for the ticket eluded me. Nevertheless, our driver, undeterred, continued weaving through traffic to get us to the hotel efficiently.

We arrived at the Innside Meliá in Miraflores, a beautiful hotel in Miraflores. Exhausted from the day’s events, we opted for quick showers and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

Day 1 – December 25

HIGHLIGHTS: Amauta Coffee, 352 Gastrobar and Magic Water Circuit

Being an early bird, I got dressed and decided to explore the hotel. After my exploration, I wandered downstairs for breakfast. Typically, I don’t expect much from hotel breakfasts, but I would rate the offerings a solid 7.5. If I were a meat eater, I would rate them an 8.5. In addition to traditional breakfast items, there was the cutest display of Christmas pastries and cookies which I enjoyed.

Post-breakfast, we dressed and decided to stroll around the city. We discovered a few open markets and did some shopping. While Donnell sought a specific poncho, he couldn’t quite find the perfect one. However, I found a lovely cape and two pairs of socks. Having only our backpacks, I knew we couldn’t pick up too much!

Following our exploration, we stumbled upon a charming coffee shop, Amuata, with a small lunch menu. I ordered a tuna salad with cheese, avocado, olives, and a very unique dressing. It was amazing. A solid 9.5. The owner was kind enough to create Donnell a sandwich that wasn’t on the menu. He opted for a tuna sandwich on focaccia. Though the bread was a bit too hard from the toasting, he still enjoyed it. I also enjoyed fresh pineapple juice which was absolutely delicious.

After lunch, we indulged in a well-deserved nap before waking up for dinner. Opting for convenience, we dined downstairs at 352 Gastrobar, utilizing the welcome drinks provided by the hotel. I chose a pisco sour, and DP had a chilcano. For dinner, I savored the octopus a la parrilla, while Donnell opted for the Thai salmon. Both dishes were very tasty. I would rate my dish an 8.5. To cap off the meal, the restaurant surprised us with a delightful chocolate dessert to celebrate Christmas.

After dinner, we headed north of the city to the Magic Fountain. For just $1, we enjoyed the beautiful water fountains. The park was bustling with families also looking for a great way to end their evening. We thoroughly enjoyed people-watching and seeing the “fountains perform”. It was a relaxing and delightful way to end Christmas.

Day 2 – December 26

HIGHLIGHTS: Indigenous Art Experience, Coffee Tasting Experience, Chocolate Making Workshop and Mayta

The day began with breakfast and a 20-minute drive north of the city to visit with indigenous members of the Shipibo Konibo community. During the drive, our guide, Mila, gave us an overview of the languages and indigenous tribes of Peru. We arrived and made our way to our workshop. We met the love Wilma, one of the original eight Peruvians who established the Shipibo Konibo community in Lima. She educated us on Shipibo Konibo pattern and what each line represents. Then, she guided us in creating our own art using natural dyes—an amazing experience. Wilma is a woman of many talents and also sang to us while educating us. To end of visit, we sampled the Masato drink, traditionally made for family occasions. It was surprisingly tasty! It was such a privilege to interact with Wilma and her family. I would highly recommend this experience.

Our time was limited, so we made our way to Terrua Cafe where our coffee tasting class was to be held. Because we were short on time, we decided to order off the menu for lunch. With a limited lunch menu, we both opted for the avocado toast which was overall, quite satisfying.

Once we finished our quick lunch, we sat at the counter behind our for our class. About a year ago, Donnell and I began drinking coffee regularly, so I was very interested in learning more about coffee and brewing techniques. The class enlightened us about three different methods of coffee making. We were also able to try the V60 with 3 different processes (Honey, Washed, Natural), Espresso and and Americano. While I’m typically a cream and sugar girlie, these were very good without the addition of both. It was a wonderful educational experience.

Next on the agenda was a chocolate-making class in the middle of the Inka Market. Despite having participated in similar classes before, Choco Museo’s open-air location added a special charm. We visited and reinforced our knowledge throughout the process. A unique touch was trying cocoa tea and chocolate milk, setting this class apart from our previous experience in Panama. As always, my favorite part was making chocolate we were able to take home with us. I would highly recommend this experience.

To finish the evening, we headed to dinner at Mayta. With Lima having four of the top 50 restaurants, I was eager to book one of them. As I began to research in October, all but one was already booked. So I chose Mayta, ranked #47 on the Best Restaurants in the World list, and it exceeded our expectations. We had 11 courses with unique cocktails on the side. The food was superb. The overall rating from DP was a solid 9, and I awarded it a 9.75. The service was nothing short of spectacular and stood out as unlike any I’ve ever experienced.

Day 3 – December 27

HIGHLIGHTS: Sandboarding

I woke up feeling under the weather but determined to make the most of our sandboarding excursion. We were picked up and traveled about an hour outside of the city to the sandboard shop, where we were fitted for boots and boards. From there, we headed to the Chilca dunes.

The sight that greeted us at the dunes was breathtaking. In the distance, you could see the city on one side and the ocean on the other. We started our sandboarding adventure, and I quickly got the hang of it, although it proved to be quite the workout! After conquering the first set of slopes, I found myself rapidly running out of energy. Despite the exhaustion, the experience was amazing.

Donnell decided to try the second slope and did really well. By the time we reached the third slope, we were both thoroughly worn out. It was undeniably a fantastic experience, one I would consider trying again, especially if I were in better shape!

Day 4 – December 28

HIGHLIGHTS: Cooking Class

Despite waking up with a slightly uneasy stomach, we decided to take it easy and checked out of our hotel at noon. Opting for a final stroll around a market we hadn’t explored yet, we then waited for our cooking class.

The class began with a market tour, offering insights into various fruits, details about the staggering 3,000+ varieties of potatoes, and glimpses of a diverse array of other ingredients.

Following our market adventure, we moved to the kitchen and started preparing our meals. The class was organized well and allowed everyone to participate in creating the dishes we would share. After prepping, we took a break to try some exotic fruits. My absolute favorites were Cactus Fruit, Chirimoya, and Cucumber melon! We also had a delicious ceviche we had prepared. Everything tasted incredibly delicious and fresh!

To cap off the cooking experience, we made a delightful adaptation of Lomo Saltado, incorporating fish instead of the traditional beef. The dish turned out to be delicious. The evening concluded with the refreshing touch of purple corn juice.

Final Thoughts

Spending Christmas in South America is something I’m growing very fond us. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Lima and will return with an added trip to Cusco and Macchu Pichu. My favorite activity was sandboarding and my favorite restaurant was Mayta.