Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [84]
Aura (Map; 242-5516, ext 210; www.aura.com.pe; LarcoMar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores; admission S40) Located in the LarcoMar shopping mall, Lima’s most exclusive club is minimally decorated and features house and guest DJs who spin a mix of house, hip-hop, electronica and Latin. Dress to the nines or you’re not getting in.
Gótica (Map; 628-3033; www.gotica.com.pe; LarcoMar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores; admission S40) A fashionable, high-energy dance spot with a churchy interior and a mix of DJs playing electronica, hip-hop and pop. It sometimes serves as a venue for live Latin dance bands.
Sargento Pimienta (Map; 247-3265; www.sargentopimienta.com; Bolognesi 755, Barranco; admission S20) More accessible is this reliable spot in Barranco, whose name means ‘Sergeant Pepper.’ The barnlike club hosts various theme nights and occasional live bands.
Déjà Vu (Map; 247-3742; Av Grau 294, Barranco) A bar that also has dancing, this vintage place has two tiers: upstairs, expect thumping international beats; downstairs you’ll find traditional Peruvian acts.
For other options, hit ‘Pizza Street’ (Pasaje Juan Figari) in Miraflores, where a row of raucous clubs regularly spin their wares.
Cinemas
The latest international films are usually screened with the original soundtrack and Spanish subtitles, except children’s movies, which are always dubbed. Some cinemas offer reduced admission midweek. Listings can be found online or in the cultural pages of the local newspapers.
Cine Planet (624-9500; www.cineplanet.com.pe); Central Lima (Map; Jirón de la Unión 819; admission S5-9); Miraflores (Map; Av Santa Cruz 814; admission S9-17)
Cinerama El Pacífico (243-0541; cine.peru.com; Av José Pardo 121, Miraflores; admission S11)
El Cinematógrafo (Map; 264-4374; www.elcinematografo.com; Pérez Roca 196, Barranco; admission S6) For esoteric and alternative films.
UVK Multicines (www.uvkmulticines.com); LarcoMar (Map; 446-7336; LarcoMar, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores; admission S9-17); Plaza San Martín (Map; 428-6042; Ocoña 110, Central Lima; admission S6.50-8.50) The LarcoMar branch has a ‘CineBar,’ where, for S23, you can sit in a theater with bar tables and have cocktails delivered to your seat.
Theater
Pickings are slim, but the following theaters are worth noting. Built in 1909, the Teatro Segura (Map; 426-7189; Huancavelica 265, Central Lima) puts on opera, plays and ballet, while the Teatro Británico (Map; 615-3434; www.britanico.edu.pe; Bellavista 527, Miraflores) puts on a variety of works, including plays in English.
Casinos
Many upscale hotels have gaming and there are independent casinos scattered all over Lima, especially Miraflores. High-end spots divvy up their salons between those who bet in US dollars and those who don’t.
Some of the trendier options:
Atlantic City (Map; 445-5562; Av José Larco 701, Miraflores) One of the city’s newer halls, Atlantic City has enough flashing lights to make Las Vegas blush.
Casino Fiesta (Map; 610-4151; www.fiesta-casino.pe; Alfredo Benavides 509, Miraflores) Another new spot; popular bands often play here.
Sports
Estadio Nacional (Map; Central Lima) Fútbol is the national obsession, and Peru’s Estadio Nacional, off cuadras 7 to 9 of Paseo de la República, is the venue for the most important matches and other events. Teleticket (see boxed text, Click here) has listings and sales.
Plaza de Acho (Map; 481-1467; Jr Hualgayoc 332, Rímac) Bullfighting remains popular in Lima. The height of the season is in October, during the religious feast of El Señor de los Milagros, when Peru’s best toreadors arrive to take on the baddest of the bulls. Teleticket has listings (see boxed text, Click here).
Jockey Club of Peru (Map; 610-3000; www.jcp.org.pe; Hipódromo de Monterrico) Located at the junction of the Panamericana Sur and Av Javier Prado, the horse track has races three to four days a week.
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SHOPPING
Clothing, jewelry and handicrafts from all over Peru can generally be found in Lima. Shop prices tend to be high, but those with