Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city. Founded in by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the modern city is a curious mix of the modern mega city with some 'islands of modernity', large but orderly slum areas and colonial architecture in downtown.
Lima was the seat of Spanish rule for years, and as such it has wonderful churches, cloisters and monasteries. Lima is the best place to try Peruvian cuisine, which has a huge variety of ingredients from the coast, mountain and Amazon regions. The cold sea current that passes Peru's long coast makes the sea very rich in fish and seafood. The following pages include the province of Callao and the province of Lima and their districts. Lima is a growing metropolis of about 11 million people.
Many of these people have migrated from the highlands to find work in Lima, without success, leading to widespread poverty and unemployment, and sprawling shanty towns on the outskirts of the city. Lima's pre-Hispanic and colonial architecture is beautiful and the city has several museums such as the Museo Larco that tells the story of a country with a long history that produced a large number of coastal and Andean civilizations such as the Moche, Chavin, and the Incas and many local cultures.
There are several archaeological sites in and around the city locally known as huaca. The city is in a valley surrounded by an extremely arid desert, receiving on average no more than 3 cm of rain per year.
The city is surprisingly green with many parks and trees, but all of them are artificially watered by the municipality! In the summer months, December to February, the weather is usually sunny and hot, with a UV index that is invariably extreme.
