San Isidro is a neighborhood to the south west of the historic centre of Lima, located on the Pacific coast. It’s one of the 43 districts in Lima province. As the wealthiest district in the whole of Peru and an important financial center, it’s a frequent destination for international visitors, especially those on business. This article will insure you will have a fantastic time in San Isidro on your trip to Peru.
The undisputed financial center of the country, the businesses who have their headquarters in the neighborhood account for around 20% of Peru’s Gross National Product. This includes all major banks and insurance companies in the country.
Though cultivated as an olive grove in 1560 and bought by the Count of San Isidro in 1777, no serious building took place until the 1920s when a local sculptor got the task of designing a new neighborhood resulting in a varied and irregular grid, something very unusual in a country like Peru, that has always been heavily influenced by Spanish colonial block grids.
Parts of the original olive groves still exist and now form the park and national monument El Olivar that serves as a green lung for the city. It’s also home to the Lima Golf and Country Club, many great restaurants and several 5 star hotels with the highest building in Lima, the Westin Libertador Hotel as the obvious standout since 2011 (Avenida Javier Prado). The nearby Malabar restaurant and bar (Camino Real 101) is known for its great Pisco Punch cocktails and high quality food prepared with authentic Andean ingredients.
The Huaca Huallamarca is the final important sight not to be missed during the best possible trip to San Isidro, Peru. This 60 feet high Pre-columbian pyramid was built during the first centuries AD and is popularly known as the “Sugar Bread” for its distinctive shape. It has been remarkably well preserved and was extensively restored in the 1950s when a comprehensive museum was also built on site. The ancient pyramid forms a wonderful contrast with the steel and glass high rises of the surrounding neighborhood.
Class Adventure Travel also offers other South America tours to Brazil, Argentina and Chile.