Peru Guide / Districts of Lima & Callao

Districts of Lima & Callao

Lima is not just the name of the capital of Peru. The district of Lima where the historical city center is located is called Lima. The surrounding region is called Lima. And to make it a bit more complicated, Lima is also the name of the Province, located in the Department of Lima.

Today Lima forms the region ‘Lima Metropolitana’. They divide it into 43 districts (distritos). Thirty of these districts belong geographically to the city of Lima, and each has its own flair, charm and character. Thirteen of Lima’s districts are surrounding the core of the urban area and are located outside of Lima in more rural zones. The province of Callao counts with 6 districts that officially belong to the Lima Metropolitan area.

The District Ancón

Districts of Lima & Callao
 
Ancón is located 44 km north of the historical Center of Lima and still belongs politically to the Province of Metropolitan Lima. During Colonial times Ancón was known as the “Pueblo de Pescadores de Lancón” (Fishing village of Lancón). In the beginnings of the Peruvian Republic the small fishing village developed quickly during the middle of th…

The District Ate Vitarte

Districts of Lima & Callao
 
Ate-Vitarte is located in the central eastern part of the Metropolitan of Lima on the south banks of the Rio Rimac. The district was created shortly after the declaration of independence by General José de San Martin. The old town of Ate is located around 14 km east of the Historic Centre of Lima. From the middle of the 19th century onwards Ate-…

The District Barranco

Districts of Lima & Callao
 
Unfortunately, only a few tourists find their way to the beautiful district of Barranco. Once it was Lima’s beach, pleasure and entertainment district for wealthier Limeños (during the colonial and republican times). Barranco was at the beginning of the 20th century home to famous Peruvian writers and artists which gave the district a unique cha…

The District Bellavista

Districts of Lima & Callao
 
Bellavista is one of six districts that make up the Constitutional Province of Callao. Located south of Callao downtown the district has an almost perfect rectangular shape. As in the whole of the Lima & Callao area the first inhabitants of what we know today as Bellavista were hunters and gatherers that settled down and soon lived from fish…

The District Breña

Districts of Lima & Callao
 
Even being located just around the corner of the historical center of Lima, Breña is one of those districts most visitors will find their way to only by accident. After its official creation in 1949, Breña was designed to be a huge industrial zone with factories and working quarters. But only a decade later the district lost almost half of its a…

The District Callao

Districts of Lima & Callao
 
Callao is one of the six districts that make up the Constitutional Province of Callao. So to make it confusing for everyone Callao is not only the name for the old downtown area, but as well for the district and the whole region around it. The district of Callao stretches along the coast and is located to the west of Lima’s city center.

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Peru Event Calendar

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Upcoming Events in Peru

01 May
Labor Day in Peru
01 May
Virgin of Chapi celebration in Arequipa
03 May
Festival of the Crosses
11 May
Mother's Day in Peru
19 May
Festival of the Lord of Torrechayoc in Urubamba
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Upcoming Events in Peru

Tourist Attractions & Sights in Peru

Machu Picchu

International Schools in Peru

International Christian School of Lima - ICS Lima

Peruvian Visa Types

Peruvian Digital Nomad Visa

Laws, Norms, Legal Codes & Decrees

Legislative Decree No. 1582 (Modification of the Peruvian Foreigner Law, Nov 2023)

Peruvian Cheese

Queso Rojo de Lluta

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