Embedded Files
April 28 - May 1, 2025
We spent our final days in Peru in lovely Lima visiting friends and enjoying the beautiful weather. We only had a couple of days and we were gassed from our week in the Amazon Rainforest so we didn't do a massive exploration of the city, but we saw enough to make us want to return someday.
Our AirBnB apartment was a modern, well apointed 3 bedroom in the Miraflores neighborhood. It had a gym and pool on the roof, but we didn't use them.
Essentially we stayed in our hotel for the first day just recovering and catching up on the kids' schoolwork. Our first foray out into the humidity of Lima's streets was to meet up with Sandro, a friend of mine from business school. We had planned to meet at a restauant in San Isidro which was supposedly about 30 minutes away by car. But after waiting 15 minutes for our Uber and then barely moving in traffic for about an hour our Uber driver decided he couldn't complete the trip and let us out not too far from where we had started.
Our friends flexed and were able to make their way across town and meet us at a restaurant called Tanta in Miraflores. We apologized to them for making them come all the way to us and they apologized to us for Lima's traffic which they said wasn't usually this bad. I certainly hope not.
We enjoyed a nice meal at Tanta with Sandro, his lovely wife Daniella and their son Masi. They were excited to have us try Peruvian food - which Tanta is famous for - but embarassingly we were pretty much all Peruvian fooded out at that point so most of us opted for more bland choices like a chicken cesear salad. We also enjoyed some tasty Peruvian wine while we talked about Peru, the US, kids and other topics in common.
TANTA
Tanta is a celebrated Peruvian restaurant chain founded by renowned chef Gastón Acurio. Established in the early 2000s, Tanta was conceived as a casual yet refined dining experience that brings the essence of Peruvian home cooking to a broader audience. The name "Tanta" means "bread" in Quechua, symbolizing nourishment and community.
Gastón Acurio, a pivotal figure in Peru's culinary renaissance, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before returning to Lima to open his flagship restaurant, Astrid & Gastón, in 1994. Building on its success, he launched Tanta to offer traditional Peruvian dishes in a more accessible format. The menu features a diverse array of options, including ceviche, lomo saltado, ají de gallina, and tamalitos, blending traditional flavors with contemporary presentation.
Over the years, Tanta has expanded beyond Lima, establishing locations in cities like Arequipa, and internationally in Chicago, Santiago de Chile, and Buenos Aires. Despite its growth, Tanta remains committed to its roots, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients and traditional cooking methods to deliver authentic Peruvian cuisine.
The next day we were invited to another business school friend's beach club, the Club de Regatas a sprawling complex of beaches, restaurants, parks and sports facilities. Jorge and his wife Inez brought their two boys who are about the same ages as Ryan and Austen and our fellow business school friends Filipe and his wife Rosana also joined us although their kids are both in college.
We had a delicious lunch at one of the four restaurants at the club and then moved to the beach and chatted while the kids swam and played in the sand. None of the kids wanted to go, but it was getting late and the adults (except us) had things to do. Jorge drove us back to our apartment as the sun set against the backdrop of the Regatas Club.
The Club de Regatas "Lima" is one of Peru’s most prestigious and historic private clubs, founded on April 26, 1875, in the district of Chorrillos by Vicente Oyague y Soyer and four friends. Initially focused on rowing, the club has expanded to encompass over 40 sports disciplines and boasts more than 50,000 members, making it one of the largest and most influential clubs in South America
The next day was our last in Lima and our last in Peru before flying off to Ecuador. I had read a blog about seeing Lima by bike along the El Malecon, a scenic, cliffside route stretching approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) along the Pacific Ocean, primarily through the Miraflores district. As we discoverd this path is popular among cyclists, joggers, and walkers, offering panoramic ocean views, green parks, and cultural landmarks.
We walked from our apartment about 20 minutes to the Mirabici Bike Rental Shop where we picked up our mountain bikes and helmets. The shop owner was super nice and accommodating. The cost was about USD $10 for the day which was reasonable.
The first leg of our ride wasn't particularly long as we stopped about 10 minutes later when we arrived at Larcomar, the upscale outdoor shopping mall on thecliffside overlooking the ocean. We wandered around the mall for a while picking up some essential items (as well as some non essential ones) and then chose one of the numerous restaurants for a bite to eat. We decided on Popular – De Aquí y De Allá, a vibrant restaurant that offers a fusion of Peruvian and international cuisines, all set against the backdrop of stunning ocean views.
After lunch we hopped back on our bikes and enjoyed a leisurely bike ride on the smooth bike path stopping at several points along the way including the Marine Lighthouse, Parque Chino, El Parque del Amor and a few other nameless playgrounds we spotted along the way.
Marine Lighthouse
El Parque del Amor ("Love Park") for obvious reasons
Francesca was very tired after being up all night arranging our travel for the Galapagos and took every opportunity she could to catch some shuteye.
Parque Chino ("China Park")
Parque Chino ("China Park")
As the sun set we pedaled back to Mirabici, dropped off our bikes and enjoyed a walk back to our apartment past the shops and restaurants of Miraflores. The next morning we headed out early to catch our flight to the Galapagos Islands!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse