Miraflores Clifftop Malecón

Most visitors to Lima stay in Miraflores, a leafy district built along cliffs above the Pacific. Its malecón is a chain of landscaped parks running along the clifftop, popular with joggers, cyclists and families at sunset.

Walk from the Parque del Amor, with its mosaic benches and large sculpture of an embracing couple, to the Faro La Marina lighthouse, watching paragliders launch from the cliffs. Larcomar, a shopping and dining centre, is built right into the cliff face with ocean views.

Lima is one of South America's great food cities. Miraflores and neighbouring Barranco have vegetarian and Indian restaurants, and a tandem paragliding flight along the coast is a thrill for the adventurous. Expect grey skies from June to October, when a sea mist hangs over the city.