Exploring Barranco: Peru’s Bohemian Art District

Peru is best known for Machu Picchu, its Incan citadel which sits among the new Seven Wonders of the World. However, there’s a lot more to see and do in this diverse and vibrant South American nation. Barranco is one of forty-three districts which make up the capital city and province of Lima, bordered to the north by the upscale district of Miraflores and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Barranco is one of the smallest districts in Lima with a population of under 40,000 people, but what attracts tourists to this cool neighbourhood is its thriving street art scene. Known as the SoHo of Lima, Barranco is one of Peru’s hippest neighborhoods with its colorful murals, quaint bars and coffeeshops, beautiful museums and charming old mansions and summerhouses.  Here’s how my visit to Barranco, Peru’s coolest bohemian art district, went.

---

Before we get started, subscribe for new articles every Friday! It’s free!

Also, check out my book and GetYourGuide storefront for travel ideas.

Getting to Barranco

We sort of winged this part of our trip and it went well, but for more structure, reserve a tour in advance. After the highlights of Cusco and Machu Picchu were over, we flew back to Lima, the capital city which we hadn’t explored but only transited through on our first day in Peru. However, I’m a firm believer in exploring the capital city of any country as the heart and soul of its people lie there. We arrived in Lima late and were shuttled to Lima Airport Tampu B&B, a low budget family-run 3-star hotel which I chose based on good reviews on Google and Booking.com. The hotel turned out to be a bit dated but was clean and its owners were warm and friendly. They saw to it that we had a great breakfast, even though we were the only guests at that time. They also assisted us in getting an Uber to Miraflores.

Miraflores was a glitzy part of the city with tall skyscrapers and a luxury mall called Larcomar which was great for window-shopping and people-watching. From Larcomar, we walked down to the beach which was pebbly and best suited for surfing. The Pacific Ocean is anything but pacific and interestingly enough, there were signs posted EVERYWHERE which warned that we were in a tsunami zone and what to do if one occurs. After walking along the beach for a little, we got something to eat but that was it. It was at this point we decided that we’d squeeze in Barranco which had come up on our radar as a must-visit part of Lima, and we’d still had another 8 or 9 hours to kill before our flight home.

---

Pro Tip: Book travel insurance before your trip.

---

My Experience in Barranco

From Miraflores, we hailed a cab and told the driver to let us off in Barranco’s town centre close to the murals. He did just that and we had an eyeful of the colonial buildings and the beautifully painted alleys, bridges and building murals. The town felt artsy and laidback, and for the first time in Peru, we experienced no persistent vendors. Even the guy playing guitar by the street wasn’t pushy for tips and we didn’t experience any beggars either. This, coupled with the fact that the evening was cool and we were dressed comfortably, made exploring on foot a pleasant experience and one of my fondest Peruvian memories.

We stumbled upon a street fair and went inside as there was no admission fee. We ended up not getting anything but I got the pleasant surprise of hearing Shaggy’s Mr. Boombastic, a Jamaican reggae/dancehall artiste, being played on the speakers and the crowd was vibing to it. This moringa booth caught my interest as well because prior to this, I didn’t realize the herb was so big outside of Jamaica. Moringa is a tree native to Asia which has grown in popularity recently for its nutritional and medicinal properties.

Lastly, we ended our time in Barranco with some empanadas followed by 2-for-1 chilcanos at a whimsical inviting café and restaurant which we came across on our stroll, La Tostadora Café. Chilcanos are made with Peruvian pisco (a kind of brandy), lemon juice, ice, bitters, and ginger ale. Our bartender was happy to learn that my partner and I are Jamaicans as he loves reggae music and Rastafari culture.

A place we missed but you should try to see if you visit Barranco is the Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs. One of the most famous landmarks of the neighborhood, this wooden bridge comes with a legend that states if you make a wish and hold your breath for the entire time you walk across the 100-foot bridge, then your wish will come true. This guided tour of Barranco includes this landmark and more.

Wrap Up

This post concludes the recap of my trip to Peru in 2022. As always, better late than never in posting, right? I hope you enjoyed the series. If you missed or would like to reread any, click the links below to read. Have you ever visited Peru or is the country on your bucket list? Sound off in the comments section below. And, if you’ve never used GetYourGuide, download the app then enter ADVENTURESFROMELLE5 to save 5% off your first excursion. 🙂 Check out my favourite Peru excursions here.

• Part 1: Exploring Cusco
• Part 2: My Peru Itinerary & Costs
• Part 3: Machu Picchu – World Wonder
• Part 4: 9 Ways Peru Reminded Me of Jamaica
• Part 5: What I Ate & Drank in Peru For A Week

Also, don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free! 🙂 ‘Til next time.

---

Find Elle on Facebook, Instagram & lend your support to keep me on the road.