The Miraflores Malecón is not a promenade. It is a sequence of parks, viewpoints, sculptures, and activity spaces that runs along the upper edge of the Costa Verde cliffs for approximately five kilometers in a north south direction. Each section has a different name, its own personality, and a type of visitor that frequents it. The entire stretch is the most important public space in Lima and the one that best captures how the city lives its relationship with the Pacific: not from the beach, but from above, looking out over the ocean from seventy meters high.
Walking the entire route from the northern end to the border with Barranco takes between an hour and a half and two hours at a relaxed pace with stops. It is free along its entire length and can be done in either direction without any prior arrangements.
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The three sections of the malecón
The Miraflores Malecón is divided into three sections that connect seamlessly, although they have different names.
The northern section is the Malecón de la Marina, which runs from Manuel Bonilla Stadium to Parque Miguel Grau. It is the most athletic part of the route: there are public courts, outdoor exercise stations, functional training areas, and the zone where Lima’s runners head out early in the morning. The Marina Lighthouse, built in 1900, is located in this section with its 21 meters of height and a range of 45 kilometers out to sea. It is one of the most frequented meeting points on the malecón and one of the most photogenic.
The central section is Malecón Cisneros, between Parque Miguel Grau and Villena Rey Bridge. It is the most well-known of the three because it concentrates the most visited parks and the landmarks that most often appear in images of Lima: Parque del Amor, Parque María Reiche, and the widest views of the Pacific from the cliffside benches. It is also the section where paragliders take off from Parque Raimondi.
The southern section is Malecón de la Reserva, between Villena Rey Bridge and Bajada Armendáriz. It is the least crowded of the three and the one that leads to Larcomar, the shopping center built into the cliff. From this section, you can descend to the Costa Verde via Bajada Armendáriz to reach the beaches at the base of the cliff.
Parque Raimondi and paragliding
Parque Raimondi is the takeoff point for tandem paragliding flights over the Costa Verde, one of the most unique activities Lima offers for visitors with limited time in the city. Certified pilots offer flights lasting between 10 and 15 minutes that soar over the cliffs and beaches of the Costa Verde, with views of Lima’s coastline from Callao to Chorrillos. Takeoff happens right at the edge of the cliff, and landing is either on the beach below or back in the park, depending on wind conditions.
Flights begin daily from 10 in the morning as long as wind and visibility conditions are favorable. The cost is approximately 250 soles per person for a tandem flight, and no prior experience is required since the pilot controls the entire maneuver. For those with a fear of heights, it is something to think about carefully, but for those without it, it is probably the best view of Lima you can get in under an hour.
Parque del Amor
Parque del Amor is the most recognizable and most photographed space along the malecón. It was inaugurated on February 14, 1993, and at its center is the sculpture “El Beso” by Peruvian artist Víctor Delfín, a figure over three meters high representing a couple in an intense embrace. The park’s walls and benches are covered with ceramic mosaics in a style reminiscent of Antoni Gaudí’s work in Park Güell in Barcelona, with phrases by Peruvian poets written among the colorful fragments.
It is located on Malecón Cisneros and has direct views of the Pacific from the cliff’s edge. On clear days between December and April, the sunset from the benches of Parque del Amor over the ocean is one of the most powerful and completely free visual experiences Lima has to offer.
Parque María Reiche
A few meters from Parque del Amor, Parque María Reiche is named after the German researcher who settled in Peru and dedicated her life to studying the Nazca Lines. Born in 1903 and passed away in 1998, María Reiche is considered the person who did the most to preserve and promote this archaeological heritage internationally.
The park features scaled reproductions of some of the most famous Nazca Lines figures, such as the monkey and the hummingbird, traced with flowers and grass in the gardens. The figures are visible from ground level but gain better perspective when viewed from above, making them one of the most original elements of the malecón route.
The Marina Lighthouse
The Marina Lighthouse in Parque Raimondi is one of the oldest architectural elements of the malecón. It was built in 1900 and stands 21 meters tall with blue and white stripes that make it visible from various points along the route. Its range is 45 kilometers, which on the clearest days allows it to be seen from vessels at sea. It is the most visited lighthouse in Peru and serves as a central reference point on the malecón for both locals and tourists exploring it for the first time.
Larcomar: the shopping center on the cliff
At the southern end of Malecón de la Reserva is Larcomar, the shopping center that in 1998 was built by integrating its architecture into the cliff rather than rising above it. It descends along the cliff face across multiple levels, and from any of its terraces you have direct views of the Pacific. It has shops, restaurants, bars, a cinema, and a layout that makes the ocean view the central element of the experience. It is not the most exclusive in terms of brands, but it offers the most pleasant setting to eat or have a drink with the ocean as a backdrop.
It is open every day with extended hours, and access is free with no entrance fee.
The bike path and cycling route
Along the entire malecón there is a bike path that allows you to cover the five kilometers by bicycle alongside the pedestrian walkway. It is one of the most pleasant urban cycling routes in Lima due to the quality of the pavement, the ocean views, and the lack of traffic lights and crossings that interrupt the ride. Bicycles can be rented near Larcomar and at some points along the malecón for a cost of between 10 and 15 soles per hour.
The bike ride along the malecón takes between 20 and 30 minutes from north to south without stops, making it an efficient option for those who want to see the entire route without spending two hours walking.
How to connect the malecón with Barranco
The southern end of the Miraflores malecón connects directly with the beginning of Barranco’s malecón. This continuity allows you to walk between the two districts along the cliff edge without ever having to go into the city streets. The stretch between the end of Malecón de la Reserva and the Catalina Recavarren viewpoint in Barranco takes between 20 and 30 minutes on foot.
This walk between the two malecóns is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in Lima: start in Miraflores from the north or from Larcomar, walk south along the malecón, cross into Barranco, reach the Bridge of Sighs, and end with dinner in the district. All without taking a taxi or any transportation.
Best time depending on your goal
In the morning between 8 and 10, the malecón is at its most athletic: runners, cyclists, and people exercising outdoors dominate the space. The light is ideal for photography, and the atmosphere is energetic without being crowded.
In the afternoon between 5 and 7 is sunset time. In the summer months between December and April, the colors over the Pacific are the most intense of the year. In winter between May and September, coastal fog softens the light and creates a grayer atmosphere, but still a good one for sitting on the cliffside benches looking out at the sea.
The malecón is accessible 24 hours a day, and at night it has enough lighting to walk safely, although the most active nightlife is concentrated in Larcomar and its bars rather than along the promenade itself.
At Peru Sites, we organize your days in Lima based on the time you have before continuing to Cusco and Machu Picchu. If you want to combine the malecón with Huaca Pucllana, Barranco, and a Peruvian cuisine restaurant in a well-planned day, write to us with your travel dates.