Callao, Lima

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We came into Callao, the port for Lima, by ship (photo 5), and made all our excursions to Lima from here by bus. From Lima there is a four hour tour that you can take to the Real Felipe Fort and Navy Museum (photo 3). We didn't have a chance to do either of these things.

The Real Felipe was constructed from 1747 as a defense against pirate attacks It iis currently the seat of the Peruvian Army Museum.

You can also take a tour to the islands of Callao to see the many colonies of sea birds and Humboldt penguins. (photo 4) The farthest point on the trip is Palomino Island, home to a large number of seals and sea lions. This we did do and I recommend it.

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This beach is only about a half an hour from Lima via combi. Once you get here, you can enjoy the freshly caught seafood (notice the numerous fishing boats in the pictures), the beach, or walking around the town. The seafood is freshest earlier in the day, so you may want to plan a lunch instead of a dinner here if you're traveling for the food. The beach is covered with smooth rocks instead of sand. Luis looked at me like I was crazy when I made a comment about the people sitting on the rocks. I live next to an area called the Sandhills. There's no such thing as a non-sandy beach here. But I suppose a perk with the rocky beach is not having to worry about sand sticking to your suntan-lotioned skin. The town is nice to walk around, as it is quiet and the homes are very pretty. The point of Lima (La Punta) is here and provides a relaxing place to watch the sunset over the water.

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If you dont feel like going to far from Lima to a beach, Callao is the place to go. A lot cleaner than Costa Verde and it presents a variety for some people: no sand, just rocks, which is great, no sandy bathing suits, right? just a 30-40 min bus ride to Callao, and from there youll be able to see the Real Felipe (navy fort which we used against Spain in the war following the independence) and then the combi will take you thru Saenz Peña Av. where you can just pick a stop get out, and head toward the ocean. I particularly prefer Cantolao for its freezing water but is all in walking distance. La Punta, the very tip of Lima, is now being rebuilt with a brand new malecon, it should be finished 2007.

Callao is the harbour of Lima. It´s a seperated town but part of Lima commune.
Apart from the harbour Callao ´s got a lot of old buildings in colonial style and a very interesting fish market.