This booming Peruvian city has one of the fastest growing economies in the Americas, but it's the food that is the main attraction, writes Mark Johanson.
Lima is a fascinating microcosm of Latin America old and new. During the hectic taxi ride from the airport to the city centre, you’ll skirt past modern skyscrapers jostling for space next to crumbling colonial facades, while sleek apartment buildings sprout like beanstalks over a dusty ancient pyramid.
In a region where the economic outlook is almost uniformly negative, Peru has emerged in recent years as one of South America’s shining stars with an annual projected growth of 4.1% through 2030, according to the latest forecast from the EIU. That’s lower than the 6% growth of two years ago, but the nation remains one of the fastest-growing economies in the Americas thanks to its close economic ties with China, strong services sector and burgeoning export industry.
Authorities hope to position Lima as a regional hub not only for leisure tourism, but business
For many, Lima serves as the arrival point for onward journeys to the ruins of Machu Picchu. But authorities hope to position Lima as a regional hub not only for leisure tourism, but business. It placed eighth on a 2016 study from AmericaEconomia Intelligence on the best cities in Latin America for business, thanks to its strong social and political framework, environmental sustainability and low unemployment.
Almost all people travelling to Peru for business will come to Lima – with 9.9 million people, it’s home to roughly a third of the country’s population. It also is home to 7,000 factories and nearly all of Peru’s multinationals (like Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica and multinational banking group BBVA). Foreign investment is pouring in for mining, hydrocarbon and major infrastructure projects – a second line of the Metro light rail is just one example.
But strong economic growth has turned it, like many South American capitals, into a city of haves and have-nots. While the haves enjoy Pacific Ocean views from glistening apartment complexes along the coastal cliffs, the have-nots live in massive slums that dot the interior hills (most of which ballooned during Peru’s internal conflict in the 1980s and ’90s).
Getting there and around
According to MasterCard’s latest Global Destination Index, Lima welcomed more international visitors in 2015 than any other Latin American city. In fact, with 4.22 million foreigners on overnight stopovers, it doubled the figure of its closest competitor, Mexico City.
This influx of foreign travellers in recent years has turned Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport into one of the best in the region, with great shops, ample charging stations and numerous cash machines (some of which dispense US dollars). Yet the facility is not without its frustrations. The arrivals area can be chaotic at peak hours, the “free WiFi” lasts 10 minutes and the dining facilities are lacklustre.
Horrendous honk-heavy traffic can turn the 30-minute journey into a 1.5-hour ordeal
The official taxi rate from the airport to San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco (the three neighbourhoods you’re likely to frequent) is 60 nuevo soles, or $18 (the nuevo sol is the local currency). Unofficial taxis — those not booked through an airport counter — may charge up to 20 soles ($6) less, but are best avoided for reasons of personal safety as there have been troubling (though infrequent) reports of theft. Horrendous honk-heavy traffic can turn the 30-minute journey to the business district of San Isidro into a 1.5-hour ordeal, particularly on weekday mornings and afternoons. Plan accordingly.
Be aware that the taxis buzzing around the city don’t have meters; always negotiate the price of a trip before hopping inside. In general, a trip within the neighbourhood shouldn’t cost more than 10 soles ($3) while a journey to a neighbouringbarrio (district) should be no more than 15 soles.
Lucy Houlding, an investment analyst from London who travels to Lima twice a year to pitch new clients and meet potential investors, says she always leaves at least 45 minutes to get between meetings in the San Isidro business district and typically contracts a private taxi service on an hourly basis.
Cultural know-how
Houlding says the Peruvians she’s worked with have shown a high level of professionalism, but the pace of business is slower than Europe and the meetings rarely start on time. “Be prepared to wait an extra 10 minutes,” she says.
Peruvians are proud entrepreneurs, but they will invest time in establishing relationships before engaging in business deals - Lucy Houlding
Business interactions can also become quite personal. “Peruvians are proud entrepreneurs… but they will invest time in establishing relationships before engaging in business deals,” she explains. The Londoner added that the business community in Lima is “quite small” compared to other financial centres and most professionals tend to interact in the same circles.
Money matters
Lima is an international city with a vast array of cash machines and money changing facilities to accommodate the steady flow of foreign tourists. Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, shopping centres and upscale restaurants, where a 10% gratuity is customary (and may already be included in the bill). However, it’s best to keep small denomination soles on hand for taxi drivers who will have trouble breaking larger bills.
Where to stay
For executives, the Westin Lima is home to Lima’s newest and most modern convention centre, as well as a total of four bars and restaurants. This high-rise hotel is in the heart of San Isidro and has sweeping views over the city’s skyscrapers.
For those looking for more stylish digs, across town in the seafront enclave of Barranco, you’ll find Hotel B, a grand Belle Époque mansion with fine art lining every inch of its white walls.
Off the clock
If there’s one thing that unites just about everyone in Lima, it’s a love of food.
The city now claims three spots on the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list
Tourism officials have waged a decade-long campaign to woo the world with the Lima’s culinary delights, and the city now claims three spots on the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list.
“Coming out of 20 years of terrorism, this country needed something to believe in, something that could make Peruvians proud to be from Peru again, and gastronomy was really the one thing that brought everyone together,” explained chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, owner of the influential restaurant Maido.
One dish that’s symbolises the potency of Peruvian cuisine is ceviche, a refreshing mix of raw fish cured in citrus juice and spiced with aji chillies. It’s a staple at nearly every high-end restaurant in town, but some of the best ceviches come from humble street-side venues like Al Toke Pez in Surquillo and Hijo de Olaya in Miraflores, where a plate piled high with seafood can cost as little as 10 soles ($3).
There is not enough time in the day, nor room in the belly, to appreciate all of the city’s restaurants in one trip. Even if you’ve ticked off a few of the globally recognised icons like Central, Astrid y Gaston or Maido, you’ll soon realise that you’ve only scratched the surface of Peruvian cuisine.
Aside from food, Lima’s other big draw is its fantastic art scene. The Larco Museum in the Pueblo Libre neighbourhood boasts an unrivalled collection of pre-Columbian pottery and lavish gold-plated war costumes from Peru’s lesser-known ancient cultures, such as the Moche, Chimu and Nazca. Bohemian Barranco, meanwhile, has a spectacular modern art trail that will take you to a dozen crumbling mansions with some of the continent’s most impressive works of contemporary art.
With growing investment, unique cultural offerings and a burgeoning food scene, there’s much more on offer for business travellers to the Peruvian capital than in troubled decades past.
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