District Of Barranco, Lima

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The Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs - if you can walk across it for the first time, without taking a breath, all your wishes will come true. So the story goes.

The Bajada de los Baños is a walkway in Barranco. It runs between the main plaza and the sea and passes many grand houses. At one point it crosses the Bridge of Sighs. In this area are also many cafes, a ruined church and the statue of Chabuca Granda (Maria Isabel Granda Larco) a well known Peruvian singer and composer. She wrote a song about the bridge.

Legend has it that a wealthy man's daughter fell in love with a street sweeper. Her Papa of course forbade the match and she would stand in the window of one of the grand houses and sigh. People walking over the bridge would hear the sighs.

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Barranco is one of 43 districts in Lima. I t is known as the rmantic and bohemian centre because it is the home of a large proportion of Peru's artistisans - artists, musicians, designers and photographers. It is a popular beach resort and has a milder climate than the rest of Lima as it is sheltered by the cliffs of Chorrillos.

Barranco has many grand colonial houses and a lively restaurant/nightclub district.

There is a beautiful path between the main plaza area and the sea and it crosses the Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs.

The "Sighs bridge", adjacent to the Barranco cliffs and the Saturday and Sunday "Peñas" where people meet and combine peruvian food and wonderful music. You find afro-peruvian and peruvian waltzes here.

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The Barranco district is a colorful area with some interesting buildings for you to see. However, one moment you are walking amongst colorful houses and churches and the next you are in the barrio, so be aware and dont be flashing expensive belongings.

Also in the Plaza San Francisco you will be able to find the very interesting building of the public library. For what I know you're not allowed to take out any books, but in any case, this should be an interesting and different place to visit if you're around the Barranco area.

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This is the main square in the Barranco district, from where you can also see the church of San Francisco. This is a lovely square to walk around and see the typical buildings. Right next to it you can also find a food market some days of the week, and of course there are little stands where you can buy jewelry almost any day of the week. By night this is a very lively place to be, as Barranco hosts one of the most active nightlife in Lima.

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This is a little streets that goes down to the beach area, and that's where it gets its name from. It used to be the path for the fishermen to go down to the sea. Nowadays this street hosts many restaurants that are quite good (I couldn't try them myself... no time!!), and in nay case it's a very nice place to walk around and look at the picturesque houses and beautiful flowers!

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Because Barranco first was a fisher's quarter, this church was a place where the fishermen went to ask god for help. Legend says that once a group of fishermen went out to sea, but because it was winter and the weather conditions were bad they got lost. After a few hours they saw a shining object in the distance, and that's how they got back to land safely. The shining object was the cross of the church, and it became a symbol to them. Nowadays the church is badly damaged, which is a shame, but it's still a very beautiful sight.

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In Barranco, very close to the "puente de los suspiros", and in the park named after her as well, you can find the monument to Chabuca Granda, one of the most important singers & composers in Peru. She was greatly known for her creole style music. Some of her most famous songs are "La For de la Canela", "Fina Estampa" and "El Puente de los Suspiros". Her music is a must listen to if you get the opportunity.

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This bridge was built in the late 19th century, mainly to comunicate the two sides of the "barranco" which means cliff. The translation of the name is "bridge of the sighs", and it takes this name because it's a popular place for lovers to meet and sit.. and kiss! This bridge is also famous because the Peruvian singer Chabuca Granda dedicated one of her songs to it.