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Barranco, Lima - a bohemian quarter and beach resort
By | October 20, 2007
Every major city has its bohemian district where all the artists and musicians hang out, and for Lima in Peru this district is Barranco. But the advantage of Barranco is that it combines all this with being a fashionable beach resort too. Originally a playground and place to spend the summer for the old aristocracy of Lima, the district is a cluster of houses, shops and restaurants in and around a ravine near a cliff overlooking the beach. In Barranco it is relatively easy to find a place to sip a coffee or a beer while enjoying a fine view over the ocean.
Running through Barranco is a beautiful walkway to the sea, known as Bajada de los Baños, bordered on both sides by elegant houses and mansions. Crossing over this is the Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs. The legend goes that a young noble lady fell in love with a road sweeper, whom she was not allowed to marry, and so she refused to marry anyone else, and stayed sighing in her room. Not far from the bridge is a park with a statue of Barranco’s famous singer and composer, Chabuca Granda.
The houses of Barranco are in the style of the Republican era, the parks are full of flowers, and the beachfront areas are very attractive. The area is famed for its restaurants, nightclubs and bars.
Barranco beach itself is a pebble beach and rather narrow, so it quickly gets crowded. The surfing at Barranco is thought to be reasonably good.
Topics: Peru |
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