One Week in the Miraflores District of Lima

We’ve been living in the Miraflores district of Lima for about a week now, and have settled in nicely. As is the case whenever relocating to a new location, we’ve found a core collection of markets, stores, parks, and restaurants that allow us to live our day-to-day lives the way we like. And we’ve found ways to make living in this city more affordable, although we do admit that it is more of a challenge compared to our Guatemala travels.

Truth be told, we have been thoroughly enjoying exploring the Miraflores district of Lima so much that we really haven’t done much traditional sightseeing! We’ve just been soaking up the new sights, sounds, and tastes of the area, which has been more than enough entertainment to occupy our time.

So let us show you some of the more routine things we have done and places we have gone this past week!

Getting Around in the Miraflores District of Lima

To date, we have walked all over the Miraflores district of Lima exclusively. We generally walk between 6 and 9 miles (~9.5 – 14.5 km) every time we go out on the town on one of our exploratory/errand runs.

Other modes of transportation haven’t been needed yet, although we have Uber, Cabify, and Didi at the ready if we ever get too far afield or need to go to other districts in Lima.

Walking around Miraflores has been an absolute pleasure.

The streets are clean, sidewalks are wide and level, and well-landscaped walking/biking paths are everywhere.

And although the pictures we will post may make it seem like it is ready to rain at any moment, it never does. Spring in Lima is dominated by clouds or a little fog (2 out of every 3 days, I’d say), but rain has yet to fall since we arrived. Also, temperatures range between 59 – 68 degrees Fahrenheit over a 24-hour period, so it is almost ideal weather for extensive walking provided you are wearing proper clothes.

We also haven’t had any serious concerns about crime in Miraflores.

Crime is a real issue in Lima, but as is always the case you need to consider the safety of any city on a district-by-district basis. And Miraflores is considered to be the safest district in all of Lima.

The Miraflores district is also said to be one of the most affluent in Lima and has a relatively high density of tourists. And because money talks, yellow-vested tourism police are everywhere to keep the peace and instill a sense of security for all.

And it works.

Honestly, we feel as safe in Miraflores as any of the best walking cities in North America or Europe we have visited. But admittedly we follow common sense best practices, avoid making ourselves targets, and try not to do anything stupid.

So far so good.

Walking the Pacific Coastline

On most of our daily outings, we find an excuse to head to the parks and walking paths that lead up and down the Pacific coastline of Lima. And since these are only five minutes from our apartment, this isn’t exactly a chore!

The Pacific coast cliff of Miraflores is lined with exceptionally landscaped parks and bike/foot paths that form a continuous chain leading north and south to other (safe) districts in Lima.

The parks are gorgeous and so is the scenery!

There are a variety of places to stop, appreciate the view, and savor the immediate moment.

There is even a multi-floor mall (Larcomar) built into the cliff face at one point. Western-style mall shopping and dining with a view!

There are several points along the cliff walk that provide stairway access from the cliff to the actual shoreline below.

There are even more parks, playas (= beaches), and walking paths along the shore.

And apparently, Lima has a vibrant surfing community!

Shopping for Necessities…and Eating Lunch!

In Miraflores, there are many ways to shop for supplies! So many that we probably spent the first two days comparison shopping among different places to get a sense of the best deals.

One luxury in Miraflores is that there are 3 very large supermarket chains within walking distance that offer a range of goods, both domestic (cheaper) and international (not cheaper). The chains are: (1) Wong, (2) Vivanda, and (3) Metro.

Their prices compare reasonably well overall to Guatemala supermarkets, but it really depends on what you are buying. For example, greek yogurt is stupidly expensive in Guatemala, but red wine is about 30% more expensive in Lima.

But honestly, when we go out for the day it is usually just an excuse to end up at the market area in Miraflores where the locals go: Mercado Municipal No 1 de Surquillo!

This area is packed with vendors with a wide range of goods, both edible and inedible. You’ll generally find the best produce and meat prices here, and you will likely do well on general household supplies too.

And as an added bonus, there are really cheap local restaurants to eat lunch at!

So far we’ve eaten at two places: Don Cevichero and Comida Peruana. Both have their strong points.

Don Cevichero is, as the name implies a ceviche and seafood specialty food stall. Although not the cheapest food in the mercado area, it is a crazy bargain for seafood of this quality. The ceviche is considered by many to be among the best in Lima.

Here is their menu for your perusal (Note: ~4 Peruvian Soles/USD on pricing), as well as our food choices that visit.

At Comida Peruana, we go for the platos del dia choices, which run about ~12 Soles each (~$3 USD).

They were delicious!

Heading Home After Lunch

By the time we finish lunch and shopping, it is often around 1:30 pm. If we have the energy, we might stop by one of the interior parks to people-watch…

Before heading back home along well-manicured walking paths that run right down the center of busy streets.

By the time we get home, we may have walked as many as 8 miles! So we are usually eager to put our feet up, relax, and do other things until dinner (which we usually make in our apartment).

So this has been our general pattern this past week, more or less. It may sound boring, but actually, it has been so much fun! When you go to a completely new country with a different culture, different stores, different cuisine, and different physical environment, everything old is new again.

Which has kind of been the point of this whole Two Travel Turtles adventure.

Until next time…

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