Metropolises · 100 of 100

Lima: the Pacific capital where the world's best table is just the start

South America's food capital opened a $2.4 billion airport in 2025, watched its port break a continental record, and crowned its second world No. 1 restaurant in three years. Ten million limeños, a desert coast and a gastronomy the planet flies in for — this is the gateway to Peru that deserves its own trip.

The gateway that became the destination

Every Peruvian journey passes through Lima — two in three international visitors land here — but the city has outgrown its transit role: a new 40-million-passenger terminal, a metro tunneling beneath it, ports moving record boxes to Shanghai, and four of the world's 50 best restaurants inside one coastal district.

The hubs below map the arrivals machine: the airport and its Airport City, the Metropolitano and the coach to Miraflores, Callao and Chancay on the water, and the numbers behind a visitor economy earning record dollars from record-length stays.

Port hub Bus hub ← All metropolisesBeach destinations

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