The moniker Lima La Fea (Ugly Lima) is but a distant memory as the Peruvian capital’s surf-to-ceviche days on the cliffs, salsa-flavored nightclubs in Barranco and Miraflores, and steady drumbeat of new infrastructure and hospitality catch global attention.
The biggest summer 2025 flex was the opening of the new Jorge Chávez terminal – with a second runway already live – bringing more gates, faster transfers and a terminal-sized food hall of Peruvian hits. A metro station is slated later in the decade as Line 4 advances. Nature is being stitched even tighter into city life (worthy of the Top 10 Nature & Parks ranking) as the Miraflores district green-lit a cable car from mountaintop to beach to address climate action, urban inequality and tourism development, making the neighborhood as progressive as it is hip. San Isidro’s Bicentenario Park kept adding native gardens, lighting and play areas around Huaca Huallamarca, part of a broader “green streets” push. The city’s stealthy nightlife (ranked #10 globally) and shopping (#11) keep pulling visitors, while Maido, a Peruvian-Japanese blend, topped The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, boosting local pride and an already impressive #17 rank for restaurants.