August 2026
The Beginning of My Second South American Adventure
LIMA, the capital and largest city of Peru, stretches along the Pacific coast and is home to more than 10 million people. It is a huge, busy city with a fascinating mix of modern neighborhoods, colonial history, ancient civilizations, colorful local markets, and, of course, a famous food scene.
For many travelers, LIMA is simply the gateway to Peru’s biggest attractions, such as Cusco and Machu Picchu. But I found that the city itself was worth taking the time to explore.
From the seaside cliffs of MIRAFLORES to lively local markets, ancient archaeological sites surrounded by modern buildings, and countless cafés and restaurants, LIMA has a little bit of everything.
At first, the city can feel a little chaotic. There is heavy traffic, busy streets, and local buses that seem to stop wherever they feel like it! But once I got used to the rhythm of the city, I found it surprisingly easy and fun to explore.
And for me, LIMA was more than just the first stop in Peru.
It was the place where a long-time dream finally became reality — my second South American adventure was about to begin.
After years of wanting to return to South America, I was finally back. This time, however, I was traveling alone, with four weeks ahead of me and several completely new countries waiting to be explored.
I had no idea how the journey would turn out.
But I was about to find out.
LIMA marked the beginning of my long-awaited second trip to South America.
The last time I visited South America, I traveled to Chile, Easter Island, and Argentina with my friends, and I had such a great time. Ever since then, I had wanted to come back. Somehow, though, I kept putting it off year after year.
Finally, I decided it was time.
I was half excited and half nervous. This would be my longest solo trip ever — four weeks completely on my own, visiting several countries I had never been to before and speaking almost no Spanish beyond a few simple words.
I worried that I might feel lonely, frustrated, or overwhelmed.
But surprisingly, none of that happened.
I felt safe, happy, and busy throughout the whole trip. I met new people almost every single day. I felt comfortable with my new friends, and the local people were incredibly kind and helpful.
Every day brought a new little adventure or something new to learn. During those four weeks, I felt like I had experienced more than I normally would in an entire year.
Of course, there were some ups and downs, but I managed to stay calm and solve problems as they came. And thankfully, I never encountered anything truly terrible.
I was so glad that I finally took the first step.
And by the end of the trip, I already knew: I definitely want to come back to South America for a third time!
First Stop: LIMA
LIMA, the capital of Peru, is a huge city stretching along the Pacific coast. It is a fascinating mix of modern neighborhoods, lively markets, historic buildings, ancient archaeological sites, and an amazing food and café scene.
For me, LIMA was also the perfect place to start my four-week solo adventure.
I didn’t have a strict itinerary. Instead, I walked around, took local buses, explored markets, discovered cafés, and simply decided what to do as I went along.
And honestly, that was one of the things I enjoyed most.
Straight from the Airport
The Airport Express Bus runs every hour. As soon as I arrived at LIMA AIRPORT, I bought a ticket with my credit card and jumped straight onto one.
I didn’t even bother getting local cash or a local SIM card first!
The bus stop was right in front of the airport exit, and it took almost an hour to get to the city center.
I stayed at FLYING DOG HOSTEL LIMA. It was nowhere near luxurious, but it had a great location and a very reasonable price.
It was just across the street from the tourist center at PARQUE KENNEDY, where the Airport Express Bus stopped.
The staff were always friendly and greeted me at the front desk. The hostel had previously been a pub, and it had a balcony overlooking the city and a cozy common area.
I often ate my takeaway dinner there while chatting with the staff.
I stayed in the women’s dorm, which had its own bathroom and toilet. Quite often, there were no other guests in the room except me.
So, in a way, I got a private room at dorm prices!
Getting Settled in MIRAFLORES
After arriving, I went to a BITEL shop near my hostel to get a local SIM card.
It wasn’t cheap, though. I paid S/75 because apparently there was a special tourist price.
Well… welcome to Peru!
After that, I started exploring MIRAFLORES.
I walked toward PARQUE DEL AMOR along the seaside and visited INDIAN MARKET, where there were lots of shops selling typical souvenirs and alpaca wool products.
I found it very easy to walk around MIRAFLORES, and I generally felt safe.
There was also a big METRO SUPERMARKET close to my hostel, which was very convenient for picking up snacks, drinks, and other necessities.
PARACAS, PISCO SOUR & THE ICA DESERT
The next day, I joined the FULL DAY TOUR FROM LIMA: PARACAS AND HUACACHINA OASIS, which I had booked online through PERU HOP.
The guide and the big bus were supposed to pick me up before daybreak — around 4 or 5 a.m.
When I was waiting outside with my breakfast bag, I started getting worried that nobody was coming.
Later, I found out that the guides usually contacted passengers by WhatsApp only 10–15 minutes before the pickup time, when they were already on their way.
So there I was, standing outside before sunrise, holding my breakfast and wondering whether I had somehow been forgotten.
Luckily, the bus eventually showed up!
This was my first day tour of the trip, and it turned out to be one of the tours I enjoyed the most.
PERU HOP was very well organized and communicated everything clearly. I also met a few women around my age who were traveling by themselves, which was really nice.
PARACAS ISLANDS
First, we took a high-speed boat to visit the PARACAS ISLANDS.
We couldn’t land on the islands, but we got very close to the rocks and saw wild seabirds, penguins, and sea lions up close.
We even saw some huge figures resembling the NAZCA LINES on one of the islands.
Not a bad way to start the day!
PISCO SOUR & LUNCH
Next, we went wine tasting and had lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful garden.
We tried different flavors of PISCO SOUR as well as local juices.
They were all delicious.
Perhaps a little too delicious for someone who had been awake since 4 a.m.!
4×4 & SANDBOARDING
Then came the really fun part.
We took 4×4 off-road vehicles across the ICA DESERT, went sandboarding, and watched the sunset from the huge sand dunes.
The 4×4 ride was quite an adventure in itself. We bounced our way across the dunes, went sandboarding, and enjoyed an amazing sunset in the middle of the desert.
Finally, we arrived at HUACACHINA OASIS after sunset and took the bus back to LIMA that night.
Our guide took lots of photos throughout the day and shared the entire album with us through WhatsApp afterward.
That was such a nice surprise.
It was a very long day, but definitely one of the highlights of my time in Peru.
Figuring Out the Local Buses
I also took local buses around LIMA to MERCADO DE MAGDALENA and LARCO MUSEUM.
At first, it was surprisingly difficult.
I could see the bus routes on Google Maps, but I couldn’t figure out where the actual bus stops were. There didn’t seem to be any obvious bus stations.
Eventually, one of the hostel staff gave me an important tip:
Look for “PARADERO” signs on the street.
But I soon discovered an even more interesting part of the system.
The locals simply raise their hand to stop the bus!
So I started doing the same.
As soon as I spotted a bus with the right number, I raised my hand.
And it stopped!
Once I figured it out, taking the bus was actually very convenient. I didn’t need to find a specific bus stop — I just needed to find the right route.
There were also plenty of buses during the daytime. I took three buses in total, and I never waited more than about 5–10 minutes.
And the fare was incredibly cheap, usually only S/2–5 depending on the distance.
But the bus drivers were the real stars.
They somehow managed to drive through heavy traffic while stopping to pick up passengers, telling them the fare, collecting money, giving change, and handing out tickets — all while driving!
I honestly had no idea how they could multitask like that.
MERCADO DE MAGDALENA — The Local Side of LIMA
MERCADO DE MAGDALENA was actually much bigger than I expected.
It wasn’t just one market, but several streets filled with local markets, supermarkets, and stores selling fresh groceries and everyday necessities.
There were also plenty of vendors selling sandwiches, desserts, and drinks.
The whole area was lively and full of local life.
And the fried fish sandwich I had there?
So good!
Sometimes the best food discoveries are the ones you never planned to make.
LARCO MUSEUM — Ancient Treasures & Some Surprises
LARCO MUSEUM was actually smaller than I expected.
It only had three showrooms, but its collection was extraordinary.
One of the rooms had lots of beautiful Inca jewelry. Another had endless glass shelves showcasing countless clay pots and pottery in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
Then I went down to the basement.
That’s where things got a little… unexpected.
There was a showroom featuring some rather exotic items, including oversized male anatomy and pottery depicting people having sex.
Let’s just say the ancient Peruvians were apparently pretty open-minded!
The museum also had a beautiful garden and restaurant filled with colorful flowers.
So after looking at ancient treasures — and some rather unusual ones — it was nice to relax in the garden.
A Little Shopping at OECHSLE MALL
I also visited OECHSLE MALL near my hostel.
It was an upscale local department store, but there were some items on sale, and I actually ended up buying a few clothes.
Of course, I couldn’t completely resist a little shopping!
A Slow Afternoon: INKA MARKET, MERCADO ARTESANAL & Coffee
Another day, I simply walked from MIRAFLORES to INKA MARKET and MERCADO ARTESANAL.
Among all the souvenir markets I visited in LIMA, I think MERCADO ARTESANAL was the biggest and most interesting.
There were so many things to look at, and I bought some natural stone products.
For lunch, I went to AL TOKE PEZ.
They have a popular set with seafood fried rice, fried squid, and sashimi salad.
It was a delicious and satisfying lunch.
Afterward, I took a coffee break at UYWA COFFEE.
They had lots of interesting coffees on the menu, and I really liked the interior design.
Even better, it had Wi-Fi, power outlets, a toilet, and A/C.
Basically, everything I need in a café!
It was the perfect place to sit down, cool off, have some coffee, and just chill for a while.
A Last-Minute Visit to PUCLLANA SITE MUSEUM
I asked the staff at UYWA COFFEE if there was anywhere nearby I could visit that afternoon.
They suggested PUCLLANA SITE MUSEUM, which was within walking distance.
Perfect!
I was lucky enough to arrive just before closing time and joined the English-language tour, which lasted about an hour.
The site was surprisingly extensive, and the pyramid was about 30 meters high.
What made it even more interesting was its location.
There was an ancient archaeological site right in the middle of a modern residential neighborhood, surrounded by apartment buildings.
It was a fascinating contrast — ancient Peru meeting modern LIMA.
The walls of PUCLLANA were quite unique too.
I was really glad I asked the café staff for a recommendation. Otherwise, I probably would have missed it.
No Walking Tours — Just My Own Way
I had initially booked two walking tours in LIMA, but somehow I ended up cancelling both of them.
Instead, I explored the city on foot and by local buses.
I might not have visited as many places as I would have with organized tours, but I really enjoyed having the freedom to explore at my own pace and according to my own mood.
If I wanted to walk, I walked.
If I wanted coffee, I found a café.
If I wanted to visit a market, I took a bus.
And if I suddenly decided to visit an ancient pyramid before it closed, I did that too!
There was no schedule to follow and nobody waiting for me.
I could simply do whatever I felt like doing.
Goodbye, LIMA
LIMA turned out to be a wonderful beginning to my second South American adventure.
I didn’t see every famous attraction, and I certainly didn’t follow a perfectly organized itinerary.
Instead, I enjoyed the little things: figuring out the local buses, chatting with hostel staff, wandering through markets, trying local food, discovering cafés, and simply watching everyday life around me.
There were so many restaurants and cafés I wanted to try that I quickly realized I needed either more time or a much bigger stomach!
But more importantly, LIMA gave me confidence.
I arrived feeling a little nervous about spending four weeks traveling alone in South America.
A few days later, I was already taking local buses, meeting new people, finding my way around, and deciding what I wanted to do each day.
I realized that solo travel doesn’t necessarily mean having to plan everything perfectly.
Sometimes, the best travel days are the ones when you wake up and simply think:
“Hmm… what should I do today?”
And with that, my second South American adventure was officially underway.