15 surprising Lima facts: Uncover the secrets

Think Lima is just a pit stop before Machu Picchu? It’s so much more. Peru’s capital is a fascinating mix of ancient heritage, next-level food, bizarre weather, and dramatic cliffs—all tucked inside one of the driest deserts on Earth. 

These aren’t your average fun facts about Lima. This is the good stuff: the surprising, the historic, and the downright unexpected—straight from the source, served with a side of ceviche. 

These fun and surprising facts might just change your perspective; there’s far more to this vibrant metropolis than meets the eye.

Let's take a look:

It might sound impossible, but it’s true: Lima is the second-largest desert city in the world, just after Cairo. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, it receives less than 0.5 inches of rain a year. 

Yet over 10 million people live here—and not in some dusty outpost, either. Lima is green in all the right places, thanks to a combo of ancient irrigation canals and glacial meltwater from the mountains. 

This city proves that life in the desert isn’t just possible—it can be thriving, lush, and full of flavour. That said, there are challenges to living in the desert. Read more about that fact later.  

Plaza de Armas, the historic main square and iconic landmark in Lima, Peru

When Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded Lima in 1535, he named it Ciudad de los Reyes—the City of Kings—to honour the Christian Epiphany. 

But that name never really caught on with the locals. 

Instead, people started calling it Lima, a name believed to come from the nearby Rímac River. In Quechua, the river’s name sounded like Limaq. Indigenous influence prevailed, and the name remained. 

One of the lesser-known but fascinating facts about Lima, Peru: the name you know today actually comes from the region’s original people. 

If you think Harvard is old, meet Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Founded in 1551, this institution is the oldest continuously operating university in the Western Hemisphere. 

It’s still going strong today, training everyone from engineers to novelists. One of its most famous alumni? Mario Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian Nobel Prize-winning author. 

The library holds centuries of history, plus modern tech labs and student activism that keep it just as relevant now as it was in the 1500s. 

Lima, Peru, facts don’t get more dramatic than this: the city is perched on cliffs that tower over the Pacific Ocean. Instead of sprawling beaches, Lima’s coastline is a series of bluffs that drop steeply into the sea. 

The Costa Verde highway runs along the bottom, cutting between the ocean and the stone like a ribbon. Above, in Miraflores, paragliders float over the waves, launching off clifftops with panoramic views. 

Below? Surfers paddle into the breaks near Barranco, one of the city’s most colourful neighbourhoods. 

It’s one of the few places where you can jump off a cliff, land on a beach, and still make your lunch reservation.  

Lima clifftop highway city, Peru

Learn more about the top activities in Miraflores, Lima’s most vibrant district. 

Here’s one of the most interesting facts about Lima: it doesn't really rain. Instead, Lima gets blanketed in a cool, damp fog called garúa. 

From May through November, the sky turns silver. There’s no need for umbrellas—but moisturiser becomes your best friend.  

This fog isn’t just a weather quirk—it powers entire ecosystems. In places like the Lomas de Lachay, desert hillsides burst into green when the garúa rolls in thick enough. It's like watching the desert bloom from thin air. 

Water in the desert isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Lima relies on three rivers: the Rímac, Chillón, and Lurín. They flow down from the Andes, fed by mountain snowmelt, and provide much of the city’s drinking water. 

But here’s the problem: rainfall is scarce, and the demand keeps rising. Climate change is accelerating glacier loss in the Andes, shrinking water supplies faster than they can be replenished. 

The Rímac River, once known as the “talking river” for its strong currents, now whispers through parts of the city. These are the kind of Lima facts that hit hard—because they’re happening right now. 

Lima cityscape from above at dusk

In 1991, Lima’s historic centre earned UNESCO World Heritage status—and with good reason. The Centro Histórico is packed with baroque churches, stately colonial facades, and over 1,600 wooden balconies, many dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. 

It’s also home to Plaza Mayor, the site of Peru’s independence declaration in 1821. To this day, it’s the setting for political marches, presidential speeches, and yes, flocks of fearless pigeons. The Plaza de Armas, considered the birthplace of modern Lima, is also known as one of the best places to visit in the historic centre of Lima 

If you’re after facts about Lima, Peru, that bring the past to life, this is the one.  

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco is located within the Historic Centre of Lima

Above ground, Lima is a city of museums and street art. But underground, things get a little darker. 

Beneath the San Francisco Monastery, you’ll find a maze of catacombs filled with bones—an estimated 70,000 human remains, carefully arranged in patterns that are both chilling and oddly artistic. 

Historians believe there’s also a network of tunnels connecting major buildings in the city’s old quarter. Some even claim they link to the Presidential Palace. And then there’s the legend of Pizarro’s lost treasure, supposedly hidden somewhere beneath the capital. No one’s found it—but that hasn’t stopped people from trying. 

The Catacombs beneath the Monasterio de San Francisco, Lima, Peru

One of the most overlooked Lima, Peru, facts? The capital is built on an ancient landscape. 

There are more than 400 huacas—pre-Columbian temples and pyramids—scattered throughout Lima. Some sit quietly in neighbourhoods, surrounded by modern buildings and traffic. 

A standout is Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores: a massive adobe pyramid once used for ceremonial and administrative purposes. Today, it’s flanked by upscale apartments and one of the city’s best restaurants, where you can have a candlelit dinner next to a 1,500-year-old ruin. 

This is one of those interesting facts about Lima that shows just how layered the city really is. 

Ruins of the Huaca Pucllna Great Pyramid in Lima, with modern city buildings in the background

Lima isn’t just a food city—it’s the food city of South America. Three of its standout restaurants—Central, Maido, and Kjolle—consistently rank in the World’s 50 Best, making Lima a must-visit for anyone chasing bold flavours and cutting-edge culinary innovation. 

The reason? It’s all in the mix. Peruvian cuisine blends Indigenous traditions with Spanish, African, Chinese, and Japanese influences. The result? Dishes that feel both familiar and completely new. 

From anticuchos (grilled beef heart) to ají de gallina (creamy chicken stew) and ceviche made with just-caught fish and electric citrus—it’s a masterclass in balance, spice, and freshness. 

If you’re building a list of fun facts about Lima, just know this: it’s the only city where your dinner might make your top five memories of the entire trip.

Looking for more? Discover 15 Unique things to do in Lima that you don’t want to miss. 

Fresh scallop dish showcasing Lima’s vibrant coastal cuisine, Peru

These Lima-born icons span literature, music, and gastronomy, showing that the city isn’t only historic or scenic. It’s deeply creative.  

San Martín statue in Plaza San Martín, central Lima

Not many cities let you go straight from traffic to a surf break. But Lima does. 

Despite being planted in a desert, Lima sits right on the Pacific—and the Humboldt Current keeps the waves rolling in all year. Locals head to beaches like Punta Hermosa, Costa Verde, and Playa Waikiki to catch early-morning sets before work. 

It’s one of the only places on earth where surfboards and business suits can share a closet.  

Surfing on the coast of Lima

Out of all the fun facts about Lima, this one’s probably the strangest: people wear yellow underwear to ring in the new year. 

It’s all about attracting good luck. But here’s the rule—you have to wear them inside out, then flip them after midnight. Add in 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight (one for each lucky month), and maybe a quick jog around the block with a suitcase if you’re hoping to travel. 

In late December, vendors line the streets selling stacks of bright yellow undergarments. It’s festive. It’s chaotic. And it’s very, very Lima. 

If you want more tips on how to experience Peru at its fullest (yellow underwear and all), check out our top 15 travel tips for Peru and how to stay safe and healthy while travelling in Peru. 

A desert city might be the last place you’d expect to find the world’s largest fountain park, but Lima likes to surprise people. 

The Magic Water Circuit in Parque de la Reserva is part show, part playground. It’s got 13 massive fountains, all choreographed with lights, music, and lasers. At night, the whole place lights up—literally. 

It’s a favourite spot for families and couples, and yes, there are walk-through water tunnels. If you're not at least a little wet when you leave, you did it wrong. 

Magic Water Circuit of the Parque de la Reserva

Lima doesn’t have one architectural style—it has dozens. And they all seem to coexist in the same city block. 

You’ll find colonial churches, Moorish balconies, French-style mansions, and brutalist towers standing shoulder to shoulder. Check out the San Francisco Monastery, the Basilica Cathedral, and the sleek Westin Lima Hotel—a modern contrast to all that history. 

It’s one of the most visually eclectic capitals in the world. And somehow, it works. 

Lima Palace and a horse-drawn carriage with tourists

Lima isn’t a city you breeze through. It’s a place that pulls you in, with contrasts that don’t quite make sense until you’re standing in them. Where you can surf before lunch, sip centuries-old cocktails at sunset, and pass colonial facades glowing under LED-lit fountains by night. 

These fun facts about Lima only scratch the surface. Behind every landmark is a story, and around every corner, a twist: a hidden garden, a food stall with a cult following, a quiet street echoing with history. 

If you're curious where to go next, check out Lima in a Day—the very best things to do, see, and eat for the ultimate hit list—or explore Peru beyond the capital, because this country has even more up its sleeve. 

For now, keep these interesting facts about Lima close. They’re the first step to understanding why the city lingers in memory long after you've left.