Historic Center & Plaza Mayor

The founding site of Lima, established by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535. The bronze fountain at the center dates to 1651 and is the oldest surviving monument in the plaza. The Government Palace (rebuilt in 1938) occupies the site where Pizarro was assassinated in 1541 by rival conquistadors. The changing of the guard ceremony happens daily at noon. UNESCO declared Lima's historic center a World Heritage Site in 1988. The plaza has witnessed independence declarations, earthquakes, and revolutions — every major chapter of Peruvian history played out on these stones.

The changing of the guard at the Government Palace at noon is free and features a brass band. The Archbishop's Palace on the east side has stunning Moorish-style wooden balconies.

Construction began in 1535, the same year Lima was founded, making this one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas. It has been rebuilt multiple times after devastating earthquakes — the worst in 1746 destroyed most of Lima. The chapel on the right nave holds a glass coffin containing what are claimed to be Francisco Pizarro's remains (verified by forensics in 1977 after decades of confusion with the wrong body). The cathedral blends Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical styles from its many reconstructions. The carved choir stalls from the 1600s are extraordinary.

The catacombs of the nearby San Francisco Monastery are far more impressive — bones of 25,000 people arranged in geometric patterns. A combined ticket saves money.