Are you traveling to Miraflores, Lima,Peru, and looking for the best things to do? Here you will find all the activities and sites that you can’t miss, selected by a local (me!).
Are you planning your trip to Miraflores, Lima?
Check out the best things to do and the top hotels in Miraflores.
Best tours in Miraflores:
1. Bike tour from Miraflores to Barranco
2. Surfing class and bicycle tour
3. Hop-on Hop-off Bus (along the main highlights of Miraflores)
4. Craft Beer Tour in Miraflores
Best Hotels in Miraflores:
1. JW Marriott (High-end, in front of the sea)
2. Lima 18 Boutique (Mid-range, small boutique hotel)
3. Casa Andina Premium Miraflores (Mid-range)
4. Flying Dog (Budget)
Miraflores is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Lima for travelers. It’s lively and modern, with plenty of restaurants, cafes, and bars to explore. It’s the area where you will also find all kinds of shops, from souvenir markets, to open-air malls.
Also, being right by the ocean, it’s a pretty area to walk around, getting to know the city while enjoying views of the Pacific Ocean. While exploring Miraflores, you will also find archaological ruins, a famous park full of cats, beaches full of surfers, and opportunities for paragliding over the area.
Miraflores is one of the preferred areas for travelers also because it’s one of the safest areas in Lima. That, combined with the many conveniences the area offers, makes it one of the top choices of places to stay in Lima. In this post, you will find my recommendations for where to stay in Miraflores, Lima, selected based on their popularity and central location.
El Malecon (The Boardwalk)
Walking along the malecón de Miraflores is a highlight of any visit to Lima and features prominently on this Lima bucket list, where I’ve selected the city’s top landmarks. Additionally, it ranks as one of the best free things to do in Miraflores, Lima, making it a must-see for travelers.
The malecón, or the boardwalk, crosses several neighborhoods of Lima, but the part that crosses Miraflores is one of the nicest ones. You can go for a nice walk with beautiful ocean views, and it’s also a great place for running or cycling.
Parque del Amor
Along the malecón of Miraflores, you will see the Parque del Amor, or the Park of Love. It’s an area with a very big sculpture of a kissing couple. And by the way, if you happen to stay in Barranco, consider staying at Second Home Peru, the house converted into a hotel, of the artist who sculpted it. You will see many nice art pieces in the hotel as well!
And if you are traveling with someone special, consider locking your love at the park!
The park is surrounded by beautiful mosaics, Gaudi-style, and also by a cafe, El Beso Frances (The French Kiss), where you can stop for crepes and a coffee.
El Faro
Another landmark along the malecón is El Faro, or The Lighhouse. This is an old lighthouse believed to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel (who also designed the Eiffel Tower). While historical documentation has apparently been lost, it is a real possibility, since he did design the Iron House which you can find in the city of Iquitos, in the jungle.
Parque Chino
A relatively new landmark along the malecón is the Parque Chino, or Chinese Park. This is a very small park with a Chinese pergola and an artificial lake. The park was donated by the Chinese community in Peru, which is the biggest one in Latin America.
Parque Kennedy
Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park) is the heart of Miraflores. The area around the park is surrounded by restaurants, cafes, shops and department stores, and the park itself is a lively area.
My favorite part about the park, and what makes this park truly special, is the amount of cats that live there. What started with a few people unfortunately abandoning their cats there, has become a colony of cute cats walking around, climbing the trees and sleeping under the sun.
If you like cats, this is the place to be! There’s also an adoption booth if you are living in Lima and want to take a new friend with you.
At the center of the park, there’s a small area designated to vendors selling souvenirs, antiques, paintings, and other crafts.
Scattered around the park, you will also find some food stands selling typical Peruvian drinks like emoliente or chicha morada; traditional Peruvian desserts, like picarones or mazamorra, and sandwiches.
Very often they also host fairs at the park. You will definitely find them during holidays like Fiestas Patrias (at the end of July) or Christmas. But during the rest year, they host several others as well. Sometimes they feauture vendors from a specific area of Peru, or specific products like Peruvian coffee, and sometimes they sell varied products.
During the weekends, you will most likely find some performances and many older couples like to go dancing to live music.
Larcomar
Larcomar is not just the prettiest mall in Miraflores but in the whole of Peru. The mall is open-air, and it’s located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. For me, this is one of the best places for shopping in Lima.
It’s the perfect place to go shopping in Miraflores for anything that you can think of: from souvenirs from Peru to regular clothing from H&M. You will find there all of the big international brands, like Nike, Puma, GAP, Kipling, The North Face, and others; along with shops selling high quality alpaca garnments, like Kuna; or beautiful artisanal Peruvian souvenir art pieces at Dedalo.
There’s also a cinema and a theatre, plus several good restaurants.
And even the small food court with fast food in the basement has probably some of the best views you can have while eating fast food anywhere in the world.
Also, if you are a fan of Paddington Bear, you probably know the character comes from Peru. You can find a statue in his honor right above Larcomar, where there’s a small playground for kids.
Huaca Pucllana
If you are thinking that all archaeological ruins in Peru are located in Cusco or other remote areas, think twice: Huaca Pucllana is an old archaeological site located right in the heart of Miraflores.
Even though I have been several times to the Huaca, it’s a place to keep visiting after some time. The site is very interesting to walk around with a guided tour and learn all about the Limaq culture, who existed way before the Incas. The site actually is around 2500 years old.
The Limaq were mainly fishermen. This site used to be a temple, where they would carry out sacrificial rites to appease the deities in unfavorable times, and they also used as a marketplace.
You will see that the architecture is quite different than the one from the Incas, where the stones fit perfectly well into one another. At Huaca Pucllana, on the contrary, they seem more “disorganized”, with more space in between them.
You will learn that this has a reason: earthquakes! Lima is an area prone to earthquakes, and the space let in between the stones just leaves space for them to move around a bit but not fall.
There’s also a restaurant at the site, called La Huaca. It’s a great place to have lunch after touring the ruins, or to enjoy dinner while admiring them lit up, which is one of the best things to do in Miraflores at night.
There’s also a food tour that makes a stop at this restaurant, which can be a great opportunity to see the ruins (this is actually the top-rated food tour in Peru by the way, and you can book this Lima food tour here).
Boulevard San Ramon
Boulevard San Ramon is a side pedestrian street off Parque Kennedy. It’s what used to be called La Calle de las Pizzas (or the pizza street), for all the pizza places that used to be there. Nowadays, restaurants are more varied.
At the end of the street, you can find Mercado San Ramon, or San Ramon Market. This is not a market itself, but a place where you will find all kinds of restaurant stalls, plus places that sell ice-cream, beer and drinks. It’s the perfect place to try a little bit of everything.
What makes the Boulevard San Ramon more special is the artwork that decorates the dome and the walls, by Peruvian artist Decertor.
If you go at night, make sure to get there early to get a place, especially on the weekends. For a lively ambiance and good food, visiting this street is one of the top things to do in Miraflores at night.
Paragliding over Miraflores
If you want to get amazing views of Lima and are not afraid of heights, paragliding in Miraflores, Peru, is a great way to get to a different perspective of the city.
While there are a couple of spots in the city from where you can paraglide, the most popular one is right next to Parque del Amor. You won’t be able to do it on any day though, as it will depend largely on the wind’s forecast.
Of course, you don’t paraglide by yourself, but with an expert that handles the paraglide while you just enjoy the views.
I am very much afraid of heights, though I probably had not realized I was so until I went paragliding. Once I let my fear go away, up in the sky, and relaxed, I was able to enjoy Lima in a different way, looking at the rooftops, the sea, and the cliffs.
I highly recommend it!
Mercado Indio
If you are looking to buy typical souvenirs from Peru, the Mercado Indio in Miraflores is a big market in Lima where you will find all kinds of crafts.
Some of the most typical souvenirs tha you can find at this market, are ponchos, pillow cases, tapestries, sweaters, shoes, stuffed animals, musical instruments, and more, coming from all over the country.
It’s a great place to go shopping in Miraflores for Peruvian typical items at the end of your trip, if you don’t want to buy things in other cities and be carrying them around.
You can also find alpaca clothing there, but I would recommend you to buy alpaca clothing in specializes stores. At the market, very often, the sellers tell you that items are made of alpaca when they aren’t, or that they have a very high percentage of alpaca, when, if you know how alpaca should feel like, you would realize it’s much lower.
Surfing
Peru is a big surfing destination, and Lima has a big surfing community due to its good waves. And in the Lima, you can find the best waves along the Costa Verde in Miraflores.
One of the most popular beaches for surfing are Waikiki and Makaha. If you are a beginner, then I’d recommend heading to Makaha, since the waves are smaller there.
If you don’t have a surfing board with you, don’t worry. At those two beaches you will be able to rent both a board and a wetsuit, for around $10 USD.
And if you don’t know how to surf but might be interested in learning, go for it! They offer classes at both beaches. I’m usually a bit afraid of the sea, I don’t find the waves there to be intimidating. I took a class once in Miraflores and felt super confident.
Book a surfing class and a bicycle tour in Miraflores.
Cycling Tours to Barranco
A great way to get to know Miraflores is to cycle along the Malecon. While, generally speaking, Lima is not the best place to cycle if you are not used to the way of driving of Peruvians, you won’t have any problems along the boardwalk, since there’s a designated bicycle lane.
Biking along the Malecon you will pass by some of the sites mentioned above. For example, Larcomar, Parque del Amor (The Park of Love), the spot from where the paraglides lift off, and you will be able to see the ocean underneath the cliffs and the surfers enjoying the water.
Usually, biking tours also head to Barranco, which, besides Miraflores, is the other preferred neighborhood by travelers. Barranco has a very distinct character and is different than Miraflores. It’s more laid-back, artsy, and there are many things to do in Barranco, like admiring the street art or holding our breath at the Bridge of Sighs.
Book a bike tour from Miraflores to Barranco here.
Mercado de Surquillo
Ok, so the Mercado de Surquillo, or Surquillo Market, is not really in Miraflores, but in Surquillo. Still, it’s located just across the street from Miraflores and only a few blocks away from Parque Kennedy. Therefore, it can easily be included in your list of things to do in and around Miraflores. It’s a great, free activity that offers insight into the local culture and daily life.
This is the place to get some Peruvian fruits you probably haven’t tried before: chirimoya, lúcuma, granadilla, tumbo, and camu camu, among others. There are also fruit juice stands, so you can have a refreshing drink after exploring Miraflores, and a couple of food stands as well.
If you are an expat living in Lima, you may want to know that there’s a stand selling Indian spices, which are not easy available in Peru. You can also find fresh tofu there, which personally I haven’t seen in any other traditional market, except in Chinatown.
Museo Amano
Museo Amano is a very interesting museum in Miraflores (and ones of the best in Lima as well), showcasing textiles found in Peru dating from millenia back, to the textiles of the times of the Incas.
At the museum, you can see how textiles have evolved all through the history of this region.
You will learn, for example, how some of the first designs and representations in textiles were those of gods, as textiles are easy to transport so possibly thy were used to indoctrinate people in religion.
As centuries went by, you will see the change in the depicted gods, in patterns, dying methods, and complexity.
Their permanent exhibit is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are looking into understand better the history of Peru.
Where to Stay in Miraflores, Lima?
Miraflores is one of the best neighborhoods for staying in Lima (along with Barranco! Check out this post about staying in Miraflores vs. Barranco).
With so many things to do in Miraflores and because it’s one of the safest areas in Lima (and Peru), it’s no wonder that so many travelers choose it as its base to explore the city.
JW Marriott (high-end)
The JW Marriot is located in the Malecón of Miraflores, just across Larcomar. It has beautiful views of the ocean. It has all the conveniences of a 5 star hotel chain.
Book a stay at the JW Marriott here.
Lima 18 Boutique
This is a small boutique hotel in an old house of a quiet street of Miraflores. It’s just a 10-minute walk to Parque Kennedy. Some rooms have a terrace.
Book a stay at the Lima 18 Boutique here.
Casa Andina Premium Miraflores (mid-range)
This is a modern hotel with every convenience, part of a chain. Just a few blocks away from Parque Kennedy. They have a nice high-tea in the afternoons which I love.
Book a stay at the Casa Andina Premium Miraflores here.
Flying Dog (budget)
This is probably the most well-known hostel in Miraflores, just next to Parque Kennedy (which is considered the center of Miraflores).
Book a stay at the Flying Dog here.
How to Get to Miraflores, Lima?
The two best ways of getting to Miraflores from the Jorge Chavez International Airport of Lima, are by taxi and by the airport bus.
Taxi to Miraflores
The most common way of getting from Lima airport to Miraflores is by taxi. It takes around 40 minutes to 1 hour to get there.
The safest taxis are the official airport taxis at the counters that you can find when you are about to exit International Arrivals. They are very expensive though, and can cost more than three or four times than what a regular taxi would cost.
Another option would be to order a taxi through an app. Here you can read all the information you need to know about ordering an Uber from Lima airport, such as where is the pic up point and where to get Wi-Fi at the airport.
Lima Airport Bus to Miraflores
The other option is to buy a ticket for the Lima Airport official bus to Miraflores. If you are a woman traveling alone and there’s a stop close to your hotel, you might consider taking the bus if you prefer feeling safer.
If you are two or more people I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, since it takes much longer compared to a taxi. When I have taken this bus, the journey has taken around 1 and a half hours, which is about double than what a taxi takes.
Here you can read more details about taking the Lima Airport official bus to Miraflores.
Before You Go…
These were some of the best things to do in Miraflores and the best hotels to stay at in this lively neighborhood in Lima, Peru. Make sure to add it to your Peru itinerary!
Also, take a look here to see how many days to spend in Lima, Peru, if you want to visit Mirafllores, but also explore Barranco and Lima center.
