Plaza de Armas (Main Square), Lima

Plaza de Armas (Main Square), Lima (must see)

What a better place to start a tour of Lima than the center of the city? Main Square is the place where Lima City was born in 1535, founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. It is also the spot from where Jose San Martin announced Peru’s independence from Spain in 1821. Importantly, Main Square is encircled by many monuments of historic importance, such as the Government Palace, the Municipal Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Palace of Union and the Cathedral of Lima.

A set of four avenues, namely – Jiron Carabajal, Jiron Union, Jiron Junin and Jiron Huallaga – frame the square in a grid-like manner. Interestingly, after the conquest of the Incas, the King of Spain, Charles I, set forth regulations by which the cities should be built. They prescribed that the streets should follow a grid which frames the main square of a city.

In addition to these sights, you can also find several other buildings of historic interest in close vicinity of the square. Among them are Casa del Oidor and the San Francisco Church. Both the square and the surrounding area are breathing with history and are truly exciting to explore.

Why You Should Visit:
To see the history and culture of downtown Lima, inhale the ambiance, and take many pictures. It is also a perfect place to start your tour of the city's historic areas.

Tip:
Be sure to pack a pair of sunglasses to be able to see the details on the bright yellow buildings. At noon at the Presidential Palace, there is the Changing of the Guard – really interesting to watch. Check out a few places before buying expensive souvenirs, as many stores carry the same goods at varying prices. They'll try to sell you at the highest price – negotiate!

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Lima. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Plaza de Armas (Main Square) on Map

Sight Name: Plaza de Armas (Main Square)
Sight Location: Lima, Peru (See walking tours in Lima)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Lima, Peru

Create Your Own Walk in Lima

Create Your Own Walk in Lima

Creating your own self-guided walk in Lima is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Food and Shopping Walk

Food and Shopping Walk

Today's Lima is a large, commerce-booming and tourist-friendly capital, equally rich in terms of ancient culture as well as intricate cuisine and wealth of shopping opportunities suitable for various budgets.

Although in recent years many international brands have found their way to Lima’s stores, the majority of tourists keep looking to street fairs and artisan “Indian” markets...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Lima Introduction Walking Tour

Lima Introduction Walking Tour

Lima, the capital of Peru, is a huge, thriving metropolis and one of South America’s largest cities; it was established by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. The carefully preserved city center has retained much of its original colonial character set in the stones of Plaza de Armas – the city's main square, as well as numerous Baroque and Renaissance cathedrals, colonial...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
Miraflores Walking Tour

Miraflores Walking Tour

The district of Miraflores is one of Lima's key tourist destinations, renowned for its affluent setting, upscale shopping, phenomenal oceanic views, seashore restaurants, parks, and interesting archaeological sites. The attractions here are numerous and include, among others, the following:

La Huaca Pucllana – an archaeological complex, featuring a clay pyramid made of seven staggered...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


Gastronomic Tour of Lima

Gastronomic Tour of Lima

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