Lima is the capital of Peru and a great place for a South American vacation. It is the largest city in Peru and is considered the cultural hub of the region. The city lies on the coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean, more specifically the Bay of Lima and has been an important location since its foundation in the early 1500s, when it was called the City of Kings. Today, a third of the nation’s population lives in this great city. Downtown Lima, Peru is a historic center for the Spanish city. In 1988, this location was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since a large number of the building in this area date from the Spanish colonial ear. A number of these buildings have been fully restored with their traditional heritage honored, and are now great tourist attractions. The most popular buildings in this area include the Plaza Mayor buildings, which include a 16th century cathedral and the Presidential Palace. This is also where one can find the catacombs of the Conento de San Francisco. Visitors to Lima, Peru may also be interested in the Lima City Walls, which still exists in several sections. The Lima City walls were built during the Spanish colonial era as well and were used to protest Lima from privates and attacking countries. The system is very complex and included walls, moats, towers, and cannons. Lima, Peru is also the home of a number of great museums. The National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History is the most famous in this city, and it is found in the Pueblo Libre district. Also important are the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, found nearby. Visitors to Lima, Peru will have no trouble in enjoying the fine cuisine found in this city. A number of great restaurants call this place home, with many serving traditional Spanish and Peruvian foods. The world cuisines found in Lima are also very delicious and are often mixed with traditional food from the area. For example, one may love eating chifa, a cross between Chinese food and Peruvian food. Lima is becoming very popular also for is fish, seafood, and Creole cuisine. Of course, if you enjoy the beach and warm weather, Lima, Peru is a great place to visit. The city has a variety of beaches, which are extremely popular. Most are located in the south by the Pan-American Highway, which gives easy access to the area. If you like a more wealthy kind of resort, visit the Ancon district, home to a variety of fun resorts. However, remember that Lima’s ocean waters are not appropriate for swimming most of the time. The city dumps its sewage directly into the city. If you love Peru and Lima so much that you want to stay a while longer, you can also go to college in this city, which has the most institutes in the country as compared to other areas. Some of these include the National University of San Marcos, which was founded in 1551 and is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas. Some other educational institutes include the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria, the Universisdad Nacional Federico Willarreal, and the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, which is the oldest private university in the country. When visiting Lima, Peru, transportation may be an issue if you are not prepared. There is no public bus system. Private buses run throughout the city, and are usually very cheap, but their routes are highly confusing if you do not know the city well. Taxiz may be of poor quality or very expensive. To alleviate the transportation problem, the Metopolitano is being developed, which will be a new bus system and will hopefully be available over the next few years to make your visit to Peru go as smoothly as possible.