3 Best Sights in Lima, Peru

From the outside, you'd never guess this was one of Lima's most opulent addresses. Ranked as the oldest private residence in the Americas, the stunning Spanish colonial casona, built in 1535 by Jerónimo de Aliaga—one of Pizarro's officers—has been continuously inhabited by 17 generations of his descendants ever since. Each room boasts a different period decor, from colonial to republican, and Don Jerónimo's German-made sword is still on display in one of the salons. To visit, you must hire an officially approved guide or go as part of a city tour.

This viceregal-era mansion sums up the graceful style of the early 18th century. Flanked by a pair of elegant balconies, the stone entrance is as expertly carved as that of any of the city's churches, while the patio is a jewel of the Andalusian baroque, with slender columns supporting delicate Moorish arabesques. The Casa Torre Tagle currently holds offices of the Foreign Ministry and is open to the public only occasionally, but if your timing is serendipitous, you can check out the tiled ceilings of the ground floor and see the house's 18th-century carriage. Across the street is Casa Goyeneche, built some 40 years later in 1771 and clearly influenced by the rococo movement.

A pair of balconies with celosías—intricate wood screens through which ladies could watch passersby unobserved—grace the facade of this rambling mansion dating from the 1760s. Step inside, and the downtown traffic fades away as you stroll across the stone courtyard and admire the elegant neoclassical salons and galleries. Peru's Catholic University, which administers the landmark, uses it for changing folk-art exhibitions, but the real reason to come is for a glimpse into a colonial-era home. As of this writing, the house was undergoing structural renovations but was expected to have reopened by late 2024.

The house retains many of its original neoclassical and Second Empire furnishings.