Some Historic Background
Founded in 1874, Barranco began as a fashionable Pacific beach resort for Lima’s wealthiest citizens. At the time Barranco was outside of Lima and it provided a holiday escape for those who could afford it. Some of the opulent 19th century mansions built in Barranco are now in a state of disrepair but most have been repurposed as trendy bars, hip boutiques, restaurants, and, in one case, as a museum. Nineteenth century architecture contains to dominate Barranco these days.
Another remnant left over from Barranco’s illustrious past is the remains of a funicular railway that rich Limenos used to ferry themselves up and down the cliff to the beach.
Barranco Today
These days Barranco has evolved into a middle-class neighbourhood that attracts artists, musicians, writers, and intellectuals. The artistic temperament of the neighbourhood is immediately evident because of the abundance of wonderfully imaginative street art found throughout.
Barranco is not very big in area and this makes it very walkable. In fact it’s best explored on foot. Barranco is a very safe neighbourhood. There are plenty of people about in public, the streets are well lit at night, and police officers on foot patrol are a common sight.
The heart of Barranco is the pretty Plaza Municipal where locals gather to relax and converse with each other or just people watch. Tourists are surprisingly not a common sight here or elsewhere in Barranco. So far at least the charms of Barranco are mostly a secret that only Limenos know about.
Barranco After Hours
Hip bars like Ayuahuasca and Victoria are famous for their craft cocktails. Both of these are located in imposing 19th century mansions. There is a multitude of other bars with great ambience to check out as well. Personally I prefer craft beer so I found myself being a return customer to the Barranco Beer Company where very delicious beers are brewed on the premises. There is a multitude of excellent restaurants in the neighbourhood some of which offer opportunities to try Nouveau Peruvian food which has been earning much praise in international culinary circles.
Barranco as a Cultural Hub
Barranco is more than a place to view street art or to eat and drink in style. It’s home to some excellent museums. I especially enjoyed MATE which showcases the work of renowned Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino. In addition to photographing famous models and celebrities, Testino also created dazzling photos of indigenous Peruvians and a sample of these are on display at MATE.
Next door to MATE is the Museum of Pedro Osma which is housed in an old mansion and features an impressive collection of Peruvian art from the Spanish colonial era.
On the northern fringe of Barranco is the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo ( better known as MAC ) which is Lima’s preeminent museum of modern art. I found the art there to be impressive but the collection is rather small for a city of Lima’s size.
Barranco vs Miraflores
Miraflores, the neighbourhood immediately north of Barranco, is where most foreign visitors to Lima stay. Since Miraflores is the business and shopping centre of Lima that makes sense. I however found Miraflores to be rather underwhelming. With its shopping malls, American fast-food restaurants, internationally known hotel chains, and busy traffic-choked streets Miraflores struck me as being a banal, boring, and all-too-common looking neighbourhood.
Barranco on the other hand felt like a uniquely Peruvian part of Lima. Some refer to it as Lima’s SoHo while others call it bohemian. Yes Barranco is artsy but it’s not in any way aloof or overbearingly hip. If you are planning to spend some time in Lima you owe it to yourself to explore what Barranco has to offer. I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.