Barranco travel guide

South of Miraflores is Barranco, which was already a seaside resort by the end of the 17th century. During Spanish rule, it was a getaway for the rich who lived in or near the centre. Nowadays, Barranco is something of an intellectual haven, with artists’ workshops and chic galleries.

The attractive public library, formerly the town hall, stands on the delightful plaza. Nearby is the interesting bajada, a steep path leading down to the beach, where many of Lima’s artists live. The Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), leads towards the Malecón, with fine views of the bay.

Barranco is a quiet, sleepy suburb during the day but comes alive at night when the city’s young flock here to party at weekends. Squeezed together into a few streets are dozens of good bars and restaurants.

An antique train that discontinued its Barranco-Lima service in 1965 now offers a pleasant, albeit very short ride (six blocks) down Avenida Pedro de Osma to the door of the museum of the same name. There is a video on board describing the train’s history. It runs Tuesday-Sunday from 1000 to 1700, depending on the number of passengers. Tickets can be bought at the Electricity Museum (Av Pedro de Osma 105, T01-477 6577, http://museoelectri.perucultural.org.pe/, US$0.70) .

Museo de Arte Colonial Pedro de Osma (Av Pedro de Osma 421, T01-467 0915, open by appointment, US$3, bus 2, 54 or colectivo from Av Tacna) has a private collection of colonial art of the Cuzco, Ayacucho and Arequipa schools. The number of visitors is limited to 10 at any one time.