When is the ideal time to visit the city of Lima?
If you would like to experience Lima with its shiny sun, our summer is from December to March, in these months, we can appreciate and get the wonderful splendour of sun. The rest of the months are foggy. During summer, weather can get the highest temperature of 30 C or 86 F, but sensation is always higher. Sometimes, even in summer, sun is appearing after 10am due to our usual fog. During winter, our average temperature at daytime is 57 F or 14 C.
If you would like to experience a traditional festivity or activity, Lima is well known to have one of the biggest processions in world. In October, the Lord of Earthquakes, or Lord of Miracles or “Señor de los Milagros” in Spanish is honored in processions around the Historic Centre of Lima, starting from the Iglesia de las Nazarenas. It is a miraculous image that was painted during the colonial times (mid 1700s) and since then it has survived several big earthquakes and parishioners pray to it faithfully. The exact dates of the processions change every year, but mainly they are during the first week, mid-month and by the end of October.
If you prefer to avoid traffic, my very best advice is to coincide your visit of Lima in a Saturday or Sunday, you take the most of the city and your time in these days. If you head to Paracas from Lima (or return), don’t do it in a Saturday or Sunday, as most of Limeans are heading south to the beach.
Avoid visiting Lima in July 28 and 29 as these 2 days are our National Holidays and most of attractions are closed. Also, there is a bit military parade on July 29 that closes one of the main avenues heading to the Historic Centre. Also during Holy Thursday and Holy Friday (moving dates every year) all attractions are closed and city may be lifeless, restaurants closed… shops closed… all closed…
Monday is the day where most national museums are closed like Pachacamac, Magic Water of Park, Bodega & Quadra, National Museum of History and Archaeology, Museo Pedro de Osma and MATE (these last two ones are private museums). Larco Museum is a private museum that has the highlight of being open every day of the year with opening time until 10pm (except holy Thursday and holy Friday, Christmas and New Year).
In summer, you can enjoy surf classes in the coast of Miraflores or in the near beaches south Lima (40km south of Lima like San Bartolo). In winter, you can better enjoy paragliding. Although both activities are available the year round. Also important to know that our sea is very cold, having an average temperature of 12 C or 55 F. A year round soft activity in Lima is biking. It is a great way to know several areas of the city. We organize bike tours as well.
Some of the most important events in the city are the “Festival de Cine de Lima” (several awarded films are showing in several movie theaters around the city) the second week of August; “Casacor Peru” (big display of arquitecture and interior design) with flexible dates but for sure during all October; and Expo Café (the biggest coffee fair in Peru) is mid-October every year. There used to be a Gastronomy Fair called Mistura that had fair success during almost 10 years, but it is not going anymore.
