When talking about places of tourist interest in Lima, reference is often made to the historic central city of the colonial era or the more modern districts such as Miraflores and Barranco. Less present is the history of the city, or rather the area, in the period before the Spanish invasion in the sixteenth century. Because the plain on which Lima was built was already inhabited beforehand. However, from these settlements little more than remains are conserved. In the Parque de las Leyendas, however, you can still find evidence of ancient cultures. There is also an archaeological museum, a zoo and a botanical garden. This makes the park in the San Miguel district a good destination for locals alike for visitors to Lima.
Find on the site
In the lands of the Parque de las Leyendas there are several Huacas, adobe pyramids and sanctuaries of the indigenous peoples that settled in the Rímac valley before the Spaniards arrived. In recent years, bones, as well as clay and stone vessels were found repeatedly in the Huacas, the last finding included the bones of approximately 1300 years of a man and a boy. These are exhibited in the Ernst W. Middendorf Museum, the Archaeological Museum on the site. A curiosity, whose puzzle until now has only been partially solved, are the more than one hundred skeletons of dogs buried together with humans. An explanation for this tomb could be that dogs were buried as victims with the dead, because in pre-Peruvian cultures dogs were the companions of humans on their journey to posterity.
Animals in the Parque de las Leyendas
The extensive grounds of the park are divided into four geographic areas, each home of different native animals of Peru. There is, for example, the Sierra Zone, where the typical mountain animals of Peru, such as llamas or condors, have found a home. There is also an artificial mine for visitors there. The coastal zone is home to armadillos, sea lions and Humboldt penguins, and jaguars of the jungle area and birds of the Andean cliffs. The exception is the international zone, which is home to hippos, giraffes, white Bengal tigers and zebras, animals that are not normally found in Peru. There is also the Petroleum Museum, which forms another theme area of the park.
Activities in the Parque de las Leyendas
In addition to the zoo and the archaeological museum, the park has many other attractions. On the one hand, near the coastal area, there is the botanical garden and a lake, on whose banks you can see a replica of Machu Picchu. Boat trips on the lake are especially popular. The area around the lake also offers plenty of space to sit or picnic. The Park of the Legends also hosts regular events, as in the past, the birthday of Giraffe Domingo was celebrated, which on occasion received a cake of carrots, alfalfa and barley in front of an audience. A special attraction are the night walks in the park. They include, in addition to a night visit to animals and others. a ride in the park train itself, a boat ride on the lake and a visit to the model mine.
Lima Zoo
Parque de las Leyendas
Addrese: Av. Las Leyendas 580, San Miguel
Opening hour: Monday – Sunday 09:00 – 17:00
Entry: 8 Soles (ca. 2 Euro)
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