Lima is in fact, a huge oasis in the very arid Peruvian coastal area (with less than 2 inches of average annual rainfall, hedged between the Pacific coast and the foot of the Andes. The site, on the southern banks of the Rio Rimac, 13 kilometers from the coast, was chosen in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro because of the adequate supply of water from the river, the irrigated agriculture in the area, a headland, and an adjoining elongated island along the nearby coast, which provided good anchorage and protection for ships. Callao, which was built on this headland, is Lima's harbor. The site is also advantegous for access inland.
The Spaniards made it the capital of most of their colonial posessions in Souh America and only toward the end of the colonial period was its dominance confined to the Viceroyalty of Peru. The Spanish city was laid out in a rectangular pattern around a central square (plaza), a pattern that the old city retains to this day, although much of the original city was ruined by an earthquake in 1746. The city and conurbation has been growing rapidly since the beginning of the tweentieth century, first in the south, where settlements that grew into towns became the forst suburbs of Lima, then westward into the open area separating Lima from Callao. Many old colonial style buildings have been preserved in the older part of the city, which now forms Lima's center. These include the cathedral, churches, government buildings, and private mansions. Some of the towns in the southwestern part of the conurbation, such as Miraflores, are wealthy residential suburbs and seaside resorts.
Lima dominates Peru's economic and cultural life. It has five national Universities (including the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, which is the oldest in the Americas) and seven private universities, attended by a total of more than 150,000 students. There are also many museums and galleries.
Cuzco is indisputably the most beutiful and interesting town in Peru, and one of the finest on the whole continent. The geographical features that made Cuzco area so attractive to the Incas, are today magnet to backpackers. The Vilcanota and Urubamba valleys provide fertile land for agriculture, well watered by the many streams fed by glacial snows. The Cordilleras Vilcanota and Vilcabamba today provide some of the best hiking on the continent; not only snow-covered mountains, but subtropical valleys and outstanding Ica ruins attract walkers and trekkers troughout the summer months.
Cuzco, laying at 3,500 meters is an excellent place to aclimatize before tacklingsome serious backpacking. More information about Cuzco Some special routes and places:
Machupichu: The Lost city of the Incas