Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru. It is the cultural, industrial, financial, and transport hub of the country. The city is located in an area encompassing the valleys of the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin rivers. It lies on a deserted coast adjacent to the bay in the Pacific Ocean where its Callao port was built.
The Historic centre of Lima, located in downtown Lima and the Rimac District, was declared a Unesco World heritage due to the large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial era. In particular, the monumental Plaza Mayor, with the 16th century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, and the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco are popular with visitors. Several sections of the Lima City Walls can still be seen. The city also has a number of fine museums, notably the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, both in the Pueblo Libre district.
Many small beaches, which are heavily visited during the summer months, are located by the southern Pan-American Highway. The most well-known ones are located in the districts of Santa María del Mar, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo and Pucusana . Also, the district of Ancon, located north of the city, has a very popular beach resort.
