Scenes from dinner and a stroll in Barranco, Lima (Peru)

After a pretty full day of exploring and touring, my colleague and I still rallied on our last night in Lima to visit the Barranco neighborhood for dinner and shopping. Barranco was not on my radar during previous visits to Peru (one in 2006 focused on Machu Picchu, the others quick business trips circa 2015 in a previous life chapter). But in my prep for this trip Barranco popped up multiple times as a 'must-visit', so I needed to check it out. Though I didn't have time for as full of an exploration as I'd like, based on my quick spin through the area it would definitely be my preferred base for any future stays in Lima.

Barranco lies along the coast just to the south of Miraflores and is known for being a bit more relaxed, bohemian, comfortable, and creative than its chic, busy neighbor to the north. This post from Tara at The Better Beyond provides a nice summary. And you can sift through various YouTube videos as well to get an idea of the vibes. From our location near Parque Kennedy (INNSiDE by Melia) it took roughly 15 minutes via Uber to arrive at the Parque Municipal de Barranco, which we used as our jumping off point to roam around.

My first target was La Feria Unión de Barranco, which closes at 9pm on Thursdays. I wanted time for a quick lap to see if there was anything I needed to bring home with me. It's a cool place with a variety of indie boutiques, cafés/food stalls, and stands selling elevated versions of traditional souvenirs.

My colleague (who is younger and cooler than I am) was pleased with what she was seeing, and picked up a sweater or scarf of something if I recall correctly. I found what I was looking for, too:

I have had my eyes peeled for a new mouse pad the past few trips I've taken but surprisingly didn't see anything. Guess mouse pad souvenirs are not in fashion anymore. But this trademark yellow Inca Cola number is now brightening up my office, replacing the dingy 2010-era Aol pad that was years past its expiration date.

Pleased with our market visit we followed the lights and murals over to the famous Bridge of Sighs.

El Tio Mario called to us like a beacon, so we allowed ourselves to be drawn in and enjoyed a traditional meal with friendly service.

While the food's appearance may be alarmingly simple, man it was tasty and hit the spot after a long day. Not pictured is the aji salsa I asked for to give it a little punch.

For dessert we tried the classic Suspiro de limeña which was delicious.

Bravo, El Tio Mario.

We walked the meal off taking in the sights for a few blocks heading north along Avenida San Martin before hopping an uber back to the hotel. Had a flight to the jungle at 10am the next morning. So that finished the evening. And I'll finish this post with a couple more vibe shots from our walkabout.