Lima is home to a range of exclusive private homes. Casa García Alvarado is a Republican home in the heart of Miraflores that welcomes visitors behind closed doors to visit the grounds and enjoy a meal with the owners for an exclusive insight into Lima's history. Casa Garcia Alvarado in Lima At the beginning of the twentieth century, Lima’s upper class started to move from the center of Lima towards the coast. Miraflores became one of the first residential districts where Limeños purchased land and built vacation-style homes. One of these houses, Casa García Alvarado, not only still stands in very good condition, but is open to visitors interested in learning about the history of Lima from the perspective of a Peruvian family. It is also available for private lunches and dinners as well as private functions such as wedding receptions. Meeting the owners Aracari visited recently and was welcomed by the owner Mrs. Ana Maria García Alvarado de Astudillo for a tour and to enjoy this special insider experience in Peru. We were greeted at the door and lead into the drawing room and offered a pisco sour each or a non-alcoholic refreshment and the rounds of hors d’oeuvres began. Ana Maria soon joined us and greeted us in perfect English, explaining that she went to an American school in Lima run by nuns from Philadelphia when she was young. She is now so accustomed to conversing in English with the guests she shows her house to that giving descriptions and telling stories often comes out automatically in English instead of her native Spanish. She also speaks basic Italian and German. Life growing up in Lima As we spoke with Ana Maria and enjoyed our hors d’oeuvres she told us about her childhood growing up in the house, how her
Lima is home to a range of exclusive private homes. Casa García Alvarado is a Republican home in the heart of Miraflores that welcomes visitors behind closed doors to visit the grounds and enjoy a meal with the owners for an exclusive insight into Lima’s history. Casa Garcia Alvarado in…
La Paz from the air Sitting at an altitude of 3,650m (almost 12,000 ft), the cable cars in La Paz offer an unbelievable view of the city spreading as far as the eye can see, including the historic center, neighborhoods built into the mountains, and the snow-capped Andes. Cable cars are gaining popularity in Latin America as a way to escape vehicular congestion while traveling in the city. La Paz is the latest South American city to implement a cable car system. Rush hour traffic can be especially frustrating for those with long commutes to and from work, or just anyone trying to get somewhere! When some think of cable cars, they may think of the classic trolleys like those in San Francisco. The La Paz cable cars, called Mi Teleférico, are gondola lifts, and are actually similar to ski lifts in that they are suspended high above the city and move along a cable to transfer passengers from one location to another. Last week, April 23rd, was the first anniversary of the inauguration of cable cars in La Paz, Bolivia. It also happened to be the day when the twenty millionth passenger rode on Mi Teleférico. Construction of the first part of the cable car system started in July, 2012. There are currently three lines operating, the red, yellow, and green lines representing the colors of the Bolivian flag. There are 11 stations including a double station that serves as the end of the yellow and the green lines. Six more lines have been approved and are in the planning stages. The red and yellow lines connect La Paz with El Alto, a neighboring city and home of the international airport that serves La Paz. Because of the large Aymara population living in and around La Paz and El
La Paz from the air Sitting at an altitude of 3,650m (almost 12,000 ft), the cable cars in La Paz offer an unbelievable view of the city spreading as far as the eye can see, including the historic center, neighborhoods built into the mountains, and the snow-capped Andes. Cable cars…
The third edition of Art Lima, Peru’s most important international contemporary art event, opened for the public on Thursday, April 23rd and runs until Sunday, April 26th. The event is being held in the Escuela Superior de Guerra del Ejército, a former military building in the Chorrillos district of Lima. Aracari was invited to the inauguration on Wednesday evening. Once inside the large white building, a wide open space opens up in front of you--a combination between a patio and a garden filled with exhibition booths in tidy rows. Around the perimeter, there are two floors housing various exhibition booths for each gallery. A large black awning covers the open air center of the building, giving the impression that you are indoors even as you feel the slight breeze and cool humidity in the air. A small version of the San Antonio cafe is set up in the center of the space and sells empanadas, sandwiches, pastries, and hot and cold beverages. People sat near the cafe and meandered around taking in the fascinating artwork and installations. There was a mixed crowd ranging from young to old and many well-dressed members of the Lima art world. There are so many things to see, you could easily spend hours perusing the galleries. There are 58 art galleries from 16 countries and covering 22 cities and showcasing works of art from over 300 artists. There is a variety of contemporary art on display including photographs, sculptures, videos, and paintings from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Spain, France, Israel, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States. Something a little different from other art shows, especially of this size, is that many of the artists were present and engaging the audience, explaining their pieces. We had the opportunity to
The third edition of Art Lima, Peru’s most important international contemporary art event, opened for the public on Thursday, April 23rd and runs until Sunday, April 26th. The event is being held in the Escuela Superior de Guerra del Ejército, a former military building in the Chorrillos district of Lima….
The Best Museums in Peru We've put together a carefully curated, handpicked list of some of the best museums in Peru. We've also included few others to check out if you have extra time! They are organized by destination including Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, and the North. Best Museums in Lima Lima’s museums showcase some of the country’s finest treasures, while providing insight into the country’s ancient civilizations and historic sites which can then explored in greater depth elsewhere in the country. Larco Museum, Lima Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (including public holidays) House in an elegant, whitewashed mansion, the Larco Museum hosts the world’s largest private collection of Pre-Columbian art including ceramics, gold and silver jewelry and an extensive selection of ceramics from the Moche culture - featuring memorable erotic pottery. In addition to the museum, the property includes a gorgeous garden and a top notch restaurant. MATE, Lima Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. For those interested in photography, internationally-acclaimed contemporary Peruvian photographer Mario Testino showcases some of his work at MATE, the Mario Testino Museum in Barranco. Small but select, the Museum’s permanent collection features his celebrity shots, including the likes of Kate Moss and Princess Diana, as well as his Peruvian Alta Moda (High Fashion). The temporary exhibition rooms has had exhibits such as Andy Warhol Film Portraits complete with an interactive room to film your own screen test. Pedro de Osma Museum, Lima Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Stepping back in time, a treasured collection of colonial paintings, sculpture and silver is located in the Pedro de Osma Museum, a beautiful mansion with manicured gardens in Barranco, just moments from MATE. MAC, Lima Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10:00
The Best Museums in Peru We’ve put together a carefully curated, handpicked list of some of the best museums in Peru. We’ve also included few others to check out if you have extra time! They are organized by destination including Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, and the North. Best Museums in Lima…
The Chavin Culture The Chavin Culture is an extinct culture that developed between 1500 and 300 B.C. in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes and its influence extended up and down the present-day Peruvian coast. Chavin de Huantar Chavín de Huántar is the principal archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site where many artifacts have been found.This former place of worship is one of the earliest and best-known pre-Columbian sites and is located in the Huari province, in the region of Ancash. The Chavín culture was highly skilled in construction as can be seen in the extensive drainage system built that was far advanced for its time. They were talented and influential in the arts as well, as the anthropomorphic and zoomorphic symbolic iconography that decorates the ruins demonstrates. MALI Chavin Culture Exhibition This Friday, April 10th, the Museum of Art in Lima (MALI) will be open in the evening for the inauguration of a new temporary exhibition about the Chavín culture of Peru. MALI is presenting the exhibition in collaboration with the Rietberg Museum of Zurich, the Swiss Ministry of Culture and the Swiss Embassy. The exhibition is also supported by the Antamina Mining Company. Important ceramics from the Chavín period as well as stone sculptures and other pieces excavated from the Chavín de Huántar archaeological complex will be on display. Informational videos and virtual reconstructions will allow guests to view the building and artistic talents of the Chavín culture in all of its splendor. The Chavín exhibition runs until August 9th, 2015. Museums in Peru MALI is a top museum in the center of Lima with a collection of art spanning the last 3,000 years in their permanent collection. Read about more of the best museums in Peru. Aracari specializes in private, tailormade trips to Peru and
The Chavin Culture The Chavin Culture is an extinct culture that developed between 1500 and 300 B.C. in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes and its influence extended up and down the present-day Peruvian coast. Chavin de Huantar Chavín de Huántar is the principal archaeological site and a UNESCO World…
At Aracari we love keeping you up-to-date on the latest happenings in our part of the world, but we also want to share something a bit more global. The WOW List by Wendy Perrin I am delighted to announce that, alongside other top destination specialists around the world, I have been included in the recently launched The WOW List, designed by Wendy Perrin, as a Trusted Travel Expert for Peru and Bolivia. Since 2009 I have been honoured to be named as a Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist, by Wendy Perrin, in her list ‘Perrin’s People’. As Director of Consumer News and Digital Community, Wendy also wrote its popular practical advice column The Perrin Report. Wendy Perrin left Condé Nast in 2014 and has now launched WendyPerrin.com, where she and her team share insider travel information from across the globe. Wendy has introduced The WOW List, a list of her Trusted Travel Experts, and I am delighted to be included on that list. Furthermore, Aracari has recently written an Insider’s Guide called Peru for Food Lovers, published on WendyPerrin.com. As Peru’s capital city, Lima, becomes an increasingly popular gastronomic destination known for world-renowned cuisine, we’ve shared some of our hand picked favorite fine dining restaurants and local haunts, as culinary experiences continue to develop apace. We invite you to read the guide and discover some of our top culinary tips, or contact us for the latest local knowledge from myself and my team. -Marisol
At Aracari we love keeping you up-to-date on the latest happenings in our part of the world, but we also want to share something a bit more global. The WOW List by Wendy Perrin I am delighted to announce that, alongside other top destination specialists around the world, I have…
