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Shopping
Of all the Peruvian towns and cities, Lima is
the most likely to have what you're looking for. For shoes and clothing it
is certainly your best bet, particularly if you're on the large size or want
a huge selection to choose from. The same is true of electronic goods,
stationery and recorded music, though bear in mind that most Limeños who can
afford it do their main shopping in Miami. Lima also has a good selection of
reasonably priced arts and crafts markets and shops, which means you don't
have to carry a sack full of souvenirs back from Cusco or Puno. Lima's
flashiest indoor shopping centre is the Centro Comercial on Camino Real,
near the Lima Golf Club in the heart of San Isidro. For supermarkets try
Wongs, which you'll find across the city, notably at the San Isidro
Comercial Centre, at the Ovalo Gutierrez and on Avenida Benavides in San
Antonio; in downtown Miraflores, the Santa Isabela supermarket, Avenida
Benavides 487, is open 24 hours.
The usual shopping hours are Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, though in Miraflores, the main commercial area, many shops and artesania markets stay open until 7 or 8pm. Some shops, but by no means all, shut for a two-hour lunch break, usually from 1 to 3pm and most shops shut on Sundays, though the artesania markets on Avenida La Marina and Petit Thouars tend to stay open all week until 7pm.
Arts and crafts
All types of Peruvian artesania are available in Lima, including woollen goods, crafts and gem stones. Some of the best in Peru are on Avenida Petit Thourars, which is home to a handful of markets between Avenida Ricardo Palma and Avenida Angamos, all well within walking distance of Miraflores centre. Artesania Gran Chimu, Avenida Petit Thouars 5495, has a wide range of jewellery and carved wooden items, as does Mercado Artesanal, also on Avenida Petit Thouars, at no. 5321. Elsewhere, Las Pallas, Cajamarca 212, Barranco (tel 477-4629), around the corner from block 6 of Avenida Grau, is a fascinating and veritable museum of artesania, run by a British woman who has spent most of her life collecting fine works and who may be able to show you the rest of her collection (ring for an appointment). Antisuyo, Avenida Tacna 460, Miraflores (tel 241-6451), sells crafts from Peru's Amazon tribes, while La Casa de Alpaca, La Paz 679, Miraflores, stocks good-quality but expensive alpaca clothing. Agua y Tierra, Diez Canseco 298 (tel 444-6980) has an interesting range of ethnic and traditional healing or curanderos's artefacts; Collacocha, Colon 534, parallel to block 11 of Avenida Larco (tel 447-4422) has a very nice, if small, collection of Andean arts and crafts; Silvana Prints, Conquistadores 915, San Isidro, produces and sells a colourful range of mainly cotton fabrics and items like cushion covers, incorporating ancient pre-Inca motifs in the design. Slightly cheaper are the artesania markets on blocks 9 and 10 of Avenida La Marina in Pueblo Libre and the good craft and antique market, which takes place every evening (6-9pm) in the Miraflores Park between Diagonal and Avenida Larco. Hatun Raymi Artesania Festival (July 27-Aug 13) is a great gathering of Lima based artesania producers; it's located on the massive esplanade of the Museo de La Nacion and entry is free. For jewellery , Casa Wako, Jirón de la Unión 841, is probably the best place in Lima Centro, specializing in Peruvian designs in gold and silver at reasonable prices, while Plateria Pereda, Jirón Venecia 186a, Miraflores, stocks fine silver jewellery to suit most tastes. Nazca, Avenida La Paz 522, has a nice range, much of it in silver. For good- quality antiques there's Rafo, Martinez de Pinillos 1055, Barranco (tel 247-0679) who have a good lunchtime restaurant too, and also Collacocha, Calle Colon 534, parallel to block 11 of Avenida Larco in Miraflores.
The South American Explorers' Club operates a free book exchange for members and is also a good source of maps . Charts covering most of Peru in detail are available from the Instituto Geografico Nacional, Avenida Aramburu 1190, Surquillo (tel 475-3085 or 475-3075, postmaster@ignperu.qob.pe), and from the Servicio Aerofotografico Nacional, at Las Palmas Airforce Base in Barranco (tel 477-3682). Ingemmet, Avenida Canada, 1470, San Borja (tel 225-3158) stock a wide range of plans, while the Touring Y Automovil Club de Peru, Avenida Cesar Vallejo 699, Lince (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 440-3270) ar good for road maps Food The best place to buy food for a picnic is Surquillo Market (daily), a couple of blocks from Miraflores over the Avenida Angamos road bridge, on the eastern side of the Paseo de la República freeway. This colourful place is fully stocked with a wonderful variety of breads, fruits, cheeses, meats etc, though it can be a bit dodgy in terms of petty thieving, so keep your wallet and passport close. Alternatively, you could try one of the Wong Supermarkets, in San Antonio, on the corner of Avenida Republica de Panama and Avenida Benavides, or the smaller branch at Ovalo Gutierrez on the corner of Avenida Comandante Espinar and Avenida Santa Cruz; all the branches also change cash dollars. In the centre of Lima you can buy most basic foodstuffs - bread, fruit and so on - either from stalls on Avenida Emancipacion or in the central market to the east of Avenida Abancay. The best things to buy for a tasty picnic are the delicious white queso fresco (cheese), avocados and pecan nuts. For health food , try Naturalix, Jirón Diez Canseco 440, Miraflores, or Octavios, Los Jazmines 219, Lince, which stocks a wide range of healing herbs from the Amazon and the Andes. Other good options are the Natural Co-op on Moquegua, near the corner with Torrico, and El Girasol, Camana 327, not far from the Plaza Mayor; Eco Natura, Jirón Schell 634; or Botiquin Naturista, Centro Comercial Camino del Inca, Surco, Tienda 157, upstairs.
For surfing gear go to Best, Billa Bong, Ignacio Merino 711, O'Niells, Avenida Santa Cruz 851, or Waves, Bolivar 149, all of which are in Miraflores; in Barranco there's Wayo Whilar, Avenida 28 de Julio 287. Cycling equipment is available from Biclas, Avenida Conquistadores 641, San Isidro (tel 440-0890); Bike Mavil, Avenida Avacion 4011 (tel 449-8435); Cicloroni, Calle de Las Casas, block 32 Avenida Petit Thouars, San Isidro (tel 221-7643); and Will-Pro, Avenida 2 de Mayo 430, San Isidro (tel 222-0289).
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LIMA INFO 2010 |
Lima
Peru Travel Tourist Information
