Lima

Lima is Peru's sprawling capital and one of the great food cities of the world, a place many travelers rush through on the way to Machu Picchu but which richly rewards a proper stay. Perched on cliffs above the Pacific, it pairs a grand colonial center, its plazas and balconied mansions dating to the Spanish conquest, with a thoroughly modern, cosmopolitan energy.

The city truly shines at the table. This is the birthplace of ceviche and home to some of the most celebrated restaurants on the planet, drawing on Peru's extraordinary biodiversity and its Japanese and Chinese culinary influences. Between meals, the clifftop parks of Miraflores, the bohemian streets and galleries of Barranco, and the crashing surf below make for memorable wandering.

Lima sits in a coastal desert with an unusual climate. For much of the year, roughly May to November, a persistent grey sea mist known as the garúa hangs over the city, while the sunniest, warmest weather arrives in the southern summer from December to April.