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Booking.com Called Ciudad de los Reyes, City of the Kings, by the Spanish conquerors, Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18,1535 in the Rímac Valley. Lima is now the capital of the Republic of Peru, and a great metropolis with nearly 8 million residents. The Costa region of Peru, in which Lima is located, is a narrow coastal plain consisting of large tracts of desert broken by fertile valleys. Cotton, sugar and rice plantations and most of the country's oil fields are in this area. Beyond Lima, lies the Sacred Valley, the Inca ruins and, high in the Andes, the spectacular ancient city of Machu Picchu.

Bird and marine life is abundant along Peru's desert coast, with sea lions, Humboldt penguins, Chilean flamingoes, Peruvian pelicans, and Inca terns all native to the region. This priceless wildlife is protected in a system of national parks and reserves. Lima's climate can be divided into two seasons: wet and dry . The coast and western Andean slopes are dry most of the year, with summer occurring between December and April. During the rest of the year, the garúa coastal fog moves in, and the sun is rarely seen. The main religion is Roman Catholicism. The indigenous people, while outwardly Catholic, often infuse Catholicism with their traditional beliefs. Annual festivals and fiestas are a blend of Catholic, Inca, Spanish, and early agricultural ceremonies. They are colorful and lively, always popular with local residents and visitors alike.

Among the indigenous people in Peru, about 70 languages are spoken, but in Lima, Spanish and English predominate. The old town is focused on the colonial Plaza Mayor and the more modern Plaza San Martin, which are separated by about five blocks of the Jirón de la Unión, Lima Centro's main shopping street. At the river end, the Plaza Mayor is bordered by the cathedral and Government Palace. Money changing facilities, large hotels and airline offices are all based in the bustling center of entrepreneurial activity around Plaza San Martin. These two landmark squares provide the key to locating everything else in the old part of town. From Lima Centro, the city's main avenues stretch out into the sprawling suburbs. The two principal routes are Avenida Colonial, heading to the harbor area near the suburb of Callao and the airport. Perpendicular to this, the broad, tree-lined Avenida Arequipa leads to the suburb of Miraflores. Miraflores is the modern, commercial heart of Lima, where most of the city's businesses have moved during the last thirty years.