First date ideas in Lima

1. 1

   Museo Larco

   Museum with garden café-restaurant·Pueblo Libre·S/ S/·All ages

   A colonial mansion with a famous collection of pre-Columbian art and gold, surrounded by bougainvillea gardens with a café-restaurant. Open every day from 9:00 to 19:00, so a late-afternoon visit can end with dinner in the garden.

   Av. Simón Bolívar 1515, Pueblo Libre, Lima (entrance at Calle Navarra 169) · Takes bookings

   Map: Museo LarcoCall +51 1 461 1312Website: Museo Larco
2. 2

   MALI (Museo de Arte de Lima)

   Art museum·Cercado de Lima·S/·All ages

   Lima's main art museum in a 19th-century palace in Parque de la Exposición, with collections from ancient Peru to today. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 (Saturdays until 17:00), it gives a date plenty to talk about; go by day and take a ride app afterwards.

   Av. 9 de Diciembre 125, Parque de la Exposición, Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: MALI (Museo de Arte de Lima)Call +51 969 046 254Website: MALI (Museo de Arte de Lima)
3. 3

   Isolina Taberna Peruana

   Traditional Peruvian tavern·Barranco·S/ S/·30s

   A tavern honouring the old Lima home kitchen, with generous portions meant for sharing. Sharing a few plates is a warm, relaxed date; open every day for lunch and until 22:00 or 23:00 most nights.

   Av. San Martín 101, Barranco, Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: Isolina Taberna PeruanaWebsite: Isolina Taberna Peruana
4. 4

   Puente de los Suspiros

   Historic wooden footbridge·Barranco·S/·All ages

   A wooden footbridge from 1876 over the leafy path down to the beach, surrounded by colourful houses, bars and street art. Local tradition says you should make a wish and cross it holding your breath; a free, romantic start to an evening in Barranco.

   Between Calle Ayacucho and the Ermita de Barranco, above the Bajada de Baños, Barranco, Lima · Walk-in

   Map: Puente de los Suspiros
5. 5

   Parque del Amor

   Clifftop park·Miraflores·S/·All ages

   A small park on the Miraflores clifftops with Víctor Delfín's giant sculpture of a kissing couple, mosaic benches with love poems and wide Pacific views. Come for sunset and keep walking along the malecón.

   Malecón Cisneros, Miraflores, Lima · Walk-in

   Map: Parque del Amor
6. 6

   Larcomar

   Clifftop shopping and dining centre·Miraflores·S/ S/·All ages

   An open-air centre built into the cliff at the end of Avenida Larco, with restaurants and cafés looking straight out over the ocean. Easy to reach and busy until late, it is a safe, simple choice for a first coffee or dinner with a view.

   Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores, Lima · Walk-in

   Map: LarcomarWebsite: Larcomar
7. 7

   MAC Lima (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo)

   Contemporary art museum and park·Barranco·S/·All ages

   A modern art museum set in a park at the edge of Barranco, with changing exhibitions of Peruvian and Latin American art. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00; an easy afternoon plan before walking into Barranco for a drink.

   Av. Grau 1511, Barranco, Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: MAC Lima (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo)Website: MAC Lima (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo)
8. 8

   Museo Pedro de Osma

   Art museum in a historic mansion·Barranco·S/·40+

   A Barranco palace with more than 400 works of colonial and Andean art across 14 rooms. Quiet and beautiful, it pairs well with a walk to the Puente de los Suspiros and a drink in Barranco afterwards.

   Av. Pedro de Osma 421, Barranco, Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: Museo Pedro de OsmaWebsite: Museo Pedro de Osma
9. 9

   Maido

   Nikkei fine-dining restaurant·Miraflores·S/ S/ S/·40+

   Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura's celebrated Nikkei restaurant, blending Japanese technique with Peruvian ingredients in a tasting menu. A special-occasion date; open Monday to Saturday from 13:00 to 22:00, book well ahead.

   Calle San Martín 399 (corner of Calle Colón), Miraflores, Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: MaidoCall +51 1 313 5100Website: Maido
10. 10

    Central

    Fine-dining restaurant·Barranco·S/ S/ S/·40+

    Chef Virgilio Martínez's world-famous restaurant, with a tasting menu that travels through Peru's ecosystems by altitude, from the sea to the high Andes. A true once-in-a-while special occasion; book far ahead.

    Av. Pedro de Osma 301, Barranco, Lima · Takes bookings

    Map: CentralWebsite: Central

Something different

Unusual places worth a special trip when you want a date nobody forgets.

1. 11

   Circuito Mágico del Agua

   Fountain park with light shows·Cercado de Lima·S/·All ages

   A park of 13 illuminated fountains, including a water tunnel you can walk through, with laser and music shows at 19:15, 20:15 and 21:10. Open every day from 15:00 to 22:00 and entry costs only a few soles, which makes it a playful, cheap evening date.

   Parque de la Reserva, Jr. Madre de Dios s/n, Cercado de Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: Circuito Mágico del AguaWebsite: Circuito Mágico del Agua
2. 12

   Huaca Pucllana

   Pre-Inca pyramid site with night visits·Miraflores·S/·All ages

   A huge adobe pyramid, about 1,500 years old, in the middle of modern Miraflores. Guided visits run daily except Tuesday, and the evening visits with the ruins lit up feel like a different city.

   Calle General Borgoño, block 8, Miraflores, Lima · Takes bookings

   Map: Huaca Pucllana

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