The District of Pueblo Libre

Just 4 km from Lima’s city center is the district of Pueblo Libre, founded already in 1557 as Magdalena de Vieja. In Colonial and early Republican times an area to rest and leisure of the Limeñan nobility Pueblo Libre today is a low to middle class residential community with numerous parks and some beautiful restored Colonial and Republican mansions. One of Pueblo Libre’s oldest attractions is “La Cruz del Viajero” (The cross of the traveler). It was placed by Franciscan monks in 1672. Travelers would stop at the Cruz del Viejero to ask for protection on their journeys either across Peru or via ship to Central America or Spain, where the cross was made.

In Pueblo Libre you find two of Lima’s finest museum. The Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú, Peru’s oldest state museum and probably the most visited in the city (it is known for having one of the best pre-Columbian exhibits in the world and incredible textile collection and a huge selection of pottery). The Museo Larco, just a short walk from Pueblo Libre’s pleasant plaza in a unique vice-royal mansion, showcases remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 3000 years development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history and features the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru and the famous erotic archaeological collection. After so much sightseeing you might get hungry. Pueblo Libre has many places to eat great authentic Creole food.