Lima Travel Guide: Barranco's Art Scene

Every city has a typical tourist route; some even offer a hop on hop off bus so you can explore on your own a little. These tours are great for a general understanding of a city and what it has to offer, but there is little depth found in these mass tours. If you are the traveler who really wants to delve into the culture and history of a destination, you need more than just an overview. Take Lima, Peru for example. In this expansive metropolis, it can be difficult to find those hidden secret gems scattered throughout the city.


Barranco is the colorful and vibrant bohemian district of Lima. The art community thrives here and provides the pulse of today’s Peruvian art scene. Famous artists such as Victor Delphin live and work in the area building new cultural platforms for the country. The community helps support one another as well as leaves an open mind and open doors for non-locals to come in and exchange ideas. Here you can find dozens of private art collections, a multitude of small artisan shops and plenty of unique restaurants, coffee shops and bars. The energy is always on full volume in this district so it is safe to wander and poke into the many hidden entrances that lead to fantastic art collections and lively music. Here are two suggestions to start from before you continue to wander this vivacious area.

Las Pallas arts and crafts shop owned by Mari Solari, is located in the heart of Barranco. Solari has a massive personal collection of priceless Andean artifacts and vibrant hand-crafted textiles that she is proud to share with locals and tourists alike. Her love of Peruvian folk art is tastefully displayed to emphasize the brilliant colors and intricate designs of the handicrafts. Her gift shop offers unique and high quality products made by Peruvian artisans ranging from jewelry and metal works to baskets and ceramics, to weavings and accessories. Solari herself is an excellent source of knowledge and happy to answer any questions with regards to her specialty in Peruvian handicrafts. If you are in the market for a specific type of work, she is the go to girl with contacts span throughout the Andes.

The Liebanas family opens their Private Folk and Colonial Art Collection/Antiques to privately arranged tours to flaunt their extensive assortment of antique furniture, colonial artwork, pre-colonial and colonial artifacts and historic sculptures located in their old-style mansion also located in the colorful neighborhood of Barranco. Sr. Liebana provides the tour himself. As an expert in antique dealing, with a specialization in furniture, you will have exclusive access to some of the most beautiful pieces in the country and access to the brilliant mind of this expert. His expertise has lead him into his business of producing replicas of baroque colonial furniture of which he furnishes some of Peru’s finest hotels with. He has also been known to create replica furniture for guests who are interested in select pieces of furniture in his home, so do not be afraid to ask!

For a guided tour of Barranco's art scene, contact this luxury travel consultant, a specialist in tailor made Peru vacations.