My Travels In Peru

Barranco: Lima's Heart and Soul

In geological times, the entire city of Lima was a flood plain. Of course, in those days the ocean level was much higher and the mighty Rimac River created a large delta. When the ocean dropped to its current level, it revealed the steep cliffs that we see today, which consist of unstable alluvial deposits. Fortunately for the city, the climate is very dry; otherwise they would have been washed down to the ocean long ago and today's malecon and parks wouldn't be there. Occasionally, this long stretch of cliffs is punctuated with deep gorges, gouged by the old river delta. Now they allow pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the malecon and the ocean boulevard, known as Circuito de Playa.

Barranco is the Spanish word for gorge and is also the name of the district south of Miraflores, an old village that developed around the top of a gorge. The two sides of the deep gorge are connected by a wooden bridge, known as El Puente de los Suspiros (the bridge of sighs). According to legend, if one managed to cross the bridge (44 m long) without taking a breath, one's wishes would come true. Many young people in love tried the feat! Were their wishes granted? Only they know!

About a century ago, this new district of Lima had a much different character. It was a bohemian community that thrived as an artists' colony. Nowadays, it's a visitor's paradise. It thrives as a tourist town. The bridge has been reconstructed and the gorge going down to the beach is all paved with interlocking bricks and lined with shops and restaurants. Although Lima's beaches are not very good, the best one is at the foot of Barranco, and many beach goers stay there for the convenience, and the nightlife, which is reputed to be the best in Lima.

Barranco's malecon, with its beautiful parks and gardens, was the top attraction for us. We took many morning and afternoon walks admiring the many varieties of flowers, in particular the colourful canna lilies. There were so many of them in different vibrant colours: yellow, red, pink, and orange. Some were hybrids of two colours: one half orange and the other half yellow. There were also solid yellows with red spots! The gardens were well maintained and rate as the best in Lima.

During one of our many walks, we stopped at a small cebicheria that offered a dish of sliced octopus smothered in an olive tapenade, a very tasty dish as it turned out. It went under the name of muchame de pulpo. It's considered a traditional Peruvian dish from the Callao district of Lima, but actually has its roots in northern Italy. It was introduced in Lima by Italian immigrants from the region of Liguria a couple centuries ago. The name comes from musciamme or mosciame, which refer to dried red tuna or dolphin served in thin strips. Now that these fish have become rare and are protected by law, other fish and octopus are used instead: we had stumbled on a delicious dish with an interesting past!

In Barranco we also found several restaurants serving ethnic cuisine, such as Chifa Vietnam, Di Capperi, Rincon Gaucho, Telepizza, and La Chaposa. The one that brought us back time and again is Canta Rana, a fish and seafood place run by a colourful Argentinian who sets the mood for a festive occasion. It's considered pricey by the locals, but the food quality and ambiance are worth the price! 

Walking along Barranco's streets is a feast for the eyes. One is treated to numerous colourful houses, storefronts, and murals: the artist colony is still alive!

Condo living is not for me because I prefer a small house with a garden, but if it was, I couldn't think of a better place to live than on Barranco's malecon. It's a quiet residential area because there is very little traffic, and, in addition to the spectacular ocean views, it's surrounded by beautiful gardens. Unlike Toronto, where a waterfront condo starts at more than million, there an oceanfront condo starts at about a third of that. With South America's economies doing quite well, and Peru's better than most, real-estate prices have skyrocketed there too.

In the early part of the twentieth century, Barranco was the home of wealthy Limeños. They constructed big houses in the Art Deco style, which they later abandoned, and the town suffered a period of decay. It was during this time that poets, artists, musicians, and writers moved in, giving the place its bohemian flavour and reputation. The first time we visited Barranco, most of the large houses, which had been the abode of the rich, were so run down, they looked as if they were ready to collapse under their own weight. Gradually, they are being renovated and used as hotels, architect's studios and the like.

Our strolls along the malecon invariably took us up to Alameda Saenz Peña, a wide boulevard with trees and flowers in the centre, surrounded by old mansions that now house a recently opened boutique hotel, the Spanish embassy, art galleries and other cultural institutions. It's unquestionably Barranco's social and cultural centre.

One evening, we were there just before dusk, and sitting on one of the park benches we enjoyed a spectacular sunset. As it turns out, we weren't the only ones. We had been so engrossed in the spectacle that we didn't notice all the people that had gathered there for the same reason.

So, who was Saenz Peña? And why was he deserving of such an honour? The truth is that he wasn't even a Peruvian. He was born in Argentina and eventually became its president. But during the Pacific War of 1879-1883, he helped Peru in the fight against Chile. And for that, the best avenue in Barranco was named after him. However, there is another Argentinean presence there. The short obelisk, on the western end of the avenue, was erected in honour of an even more famous Argentinean, the freedom fighter and liberator José de San Martín. After learning this, we started referring to Alameda Saenz Peña as the Argentinean boulevard.

The first time we visited Barranco, we decided to continue walking from the main square, where the cathedral is located, to its southern boundary with Chorillos. Leaving the square we saw a one-coach electrical train, in front of the train museum, so we thought it was part of the museum - a stationary exhibit. Its doors were closed so we couldn't go in to take a peak. The old train tracks ran between the road and the sidewalk, and as the sidewalk was in a state of disrepair, it was easier to walk along the abandoned train tracks, especially because we were keeping a good pace. We were walking fairly carefree, when I heard the sound of steel wheels rolling on the steel tracks. I quickly turned around to find that the train was nearly upon us. The conductor had made no attempt at alerting us of the impending danger. We quickly jumped out of its way and sighed with relief as it passed us by. It had been too close for comfort!

The incident bothered us a lot because the conductor had behaved in what seemed to us a careless and capricious way, as if to say, "I'm going to teach those gringos a lesson. They should know better than walking along a train track!" Well. The truth is that the train is part of the museum, but it also offers a short ride for tourists!