2 Best Sights in Lima, Peru

Built in 1871 as the Palacio de la Exposición, this mammoth neoclassical structure was designed by the Italian architect Antonio Leonardi, with metal columns from the workshop of Gustav Eiffel (who later built the famous Parisian tower). The ground floor hosts temporary exhibitions by national and international artists, while the second level houses a permanent exhibition that spans Peru's past, with everything from pre-Columbian artifacts and colonial-era art to republican-era paintings and drawings that provide a glimpse into 19th- and 20th-century Peruvian life. One of the museum's treasures is the collection of quipus, or "talking knots"—webs of strings that were the closest thing the Incas had to writing.

Leave time to sip an espresso in the café near the entrance.

Motion-activated fountains, fairy-tale Italian loggias, and nocturnal laser shows make this vast park a surefire winner with families. Built in 2007 in Lima's historic Parque de la Reserva, the water-themed attraction draws crowds from all over Peru with its 13 pools and connecting watercourses. The best time to go is around 7 in the evening, when you can see a series of over-the-top multimedia spectacles set to rousing patriotic themes. Bring bathing suits for the kids: they're going to beg to get wet.