Basilica Cathedral of Lima (Catedral de Lima)

Om

Snabba fakta: Stepping inside, the hush and warm scent of beeswax candles mingle with gilded altars and carved choir stalls that pull your eyes upward. Beneath the nave a dim crypt shelters the tombs of notable figures and a gleaming silver casket, offering a quiet, tangible glimpse of the city's layered past.

Höjdpunkter: Beneath the nave lie catacombs holding around 25,000 skeletal remains, and you can still see stacked skulls and bone-lined corridors that feel like walking into a sepia photograph of centuries ago. In the main chapel the ornate Baroque altar glows with gilt and silver, and the tomb of conquistador Francisco Pizarro sits under carved cedar beams, where the scent of beeswax and incense hangs in the air.

Insidertips

• Dress respectfully, cover shoulders and knees, since religious services still take place.
• Arrive at opening to avoid tour groups and to photograph the nave without crowds.
• Ask at the ticket desk about access to the choir loft or crypt to see Pizarro's tomb up close.
• Use a wide-angle lens for the main nave, avoid flash, and step into the right-side chapels for dramatic side-light photos.

Praktisk info

Vägbeskrivning

Officiell webbplats

Fler attraktioner i Lima

Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas de Lima)

Convento de San Francisco & Catacombs (Monastery of San Francisco)

Huaca Pucllana archaeological site

Museo Larco (Larco Museum)