Lightpocketed in Lima

Destination(s): Lima

Lima is a city of contrasts, from the tinted glass and polished steel high rises of San Isidro to the bohemian and rustic Barranco to the impoverished pueblos jovenes on the city's outskirts. Thankfully this enormous diversity means that a budget vacation in Lima can be an interesting and exciting experience, with a huge range of free or nearly free activities to keep you entertained. There are numerous free or cheap museums andarcheological sites, the neighbourhoods of Miraflores and Barranco are great places to lose yourself on a walking tour while much of Central Lima's history and impressive architecture can be admired from the outside for nothing! During the weekend's Lima's big supermarkets give away a huge amount of tasters and samples (who said there's no such thing as a free lunch?) while street vendors sell anything from tacos toempanadas (tasty meat-filled pastries) to chicharron (roast pork) sandwiches, which will keep you full for next to nothing. For the brave, transport within Lima is easy and cheap thanks to the vast numbers of 'combi' buses that ply virtually every route night and day. Short trips cost just 50 centivos (USD 0.15) and longer journeys cost 1 sole (USD 0.30). Just read the destination on the front of the bus and the route it follows which is printed on the side. The main routes are Panama and Arequipa which will get you to all the important sites. read more about Lightpocketed in Lima