Miraflores is probably exactly what most first-time visitors to Lima need. It’s familiar, easy to navigate, and packed with hotels, restaurants, and cafés. You can walk along the Pacific, grab an Uber almost anywhere, and stay in a neighborhood accustomed to welcoming visitors. But dare I say it? Miraflores can feel a little too easy….

Most first-time visitors to Lima stay along the coast in Miraflores or Barranco, and I understand why. They’re walkable, full of restaurants and cafés, close to the Pacific, and manageable bases in a city as enormous as Lima. But if that’s the only Lima you see, you’re missing an entirely different version of the city….