I’m at São Paulo airport four hours before my flight.
I am smug about my uncharacteristically efficient arrival time ahead of jetting out to Costa Rica, when I strut over to the check-in desk only to have a member of staff flick through my documents and ask…
‘Can I see your Yellow Fever vaccine certificate?’
Oh.
It doesn’t take much to throw me off balance and this question hurled me overboard, because – rather stupidly – I had left my certificate with my fastidiously organised boyfriend, who had at this point just landed back in the UK.
Suddenly, my dream holiday faced a potentially terminal obstacle.
Of all the things I anticipated going wrong while solo travelling around South and Central America, this wasn’t even on my list, but here we are: thousands of pounds down the drain and the prospect of a shameful flight home, three weeks early.
Then, like a bolt from the blue, another staff member brings a glimmer of hope.
I can still fly to Lima, the capital of Peru.
Peru just doesn’t require proof of a Yellow Fever vaccine certificate unless you’re planning to travel to jungle areas, like the Amazon basin.
I’ve never had a burning desire to go there, but anything to get me out of this airport and a city I have no wish to spend another second in is worth it, so I’m prepared to wait 14 hours for the next flight.
Shaken and exhausted, I don’t arrive in Lima with the enthusiasm it deserves.
I’ve only heard of it as a pitstop en route to the country’s famous hiking trails such as the wondrous Machu Picchu, and I have no idea how long I’ll need to be here. Nonetheless, here I am.
Without high hopes, I leave my hotel to explore the Miraflores neighbourhood, which is popular with tourists.
Despite our language barrier, my taxi driver has a charming determination to sell his hometown to me, and rightly so.
Very quickly I feel at home in Lima. It’s easy to wander aimlessly and get safely lost in its abundance of shops, parks and, most importantly, world-class restaurants, which I knew next to nothing about.
As it turns out, Lima was crowned Time Out’s Best City for Food in 2026 thanks to its ‘quality, affordability and diversity’.
A quick Google of the very best restaurants tells me I’m not getting into any of them – my unexpected arrival meaning I couldn’t book ahead.
But after speaking to local tour guide Claudia, I found her recommendations didn’t appear on any list, were much more affordable and, most importantly, available.
Taking her lead, I tried as many as possible in the three days I had.
Punto Azul
Claudia insists Punto Azul is the best seafood in Lima, and it’s clear that locals agree, as the first time I walk past the restaurant at lunchtime there’s a queue around the corner for a table.
I try again later for an early dinner, and miraculously it’s just 20 minutes until I am ushered into a seat.
Looking at their Instagram, I’m mesmerised by a video of the seafood soup: a steaming bisque packed with squid, prawns, clams, white fish and a whole crab.
It’s so sensational that, two nights later, once I know I’m about to leave Lima, I swing by for another helping.
Peruvians are extremely generous with portions, which makes eating out even cheaper.
I order a side and a starter before the waiter correctly assures me the soup will be more than enough on its own. My entire dinner comes to just £12.
Peruvian pork sandwiches
I came across countless places selling Peruvian pork sandwiches, but I stick to the ones at my hotel.
They are so good and cost half the price (at £6) of sub-par equivalents in London that I have at least one every day.
Succulent pork with a layer of sweet potato and tangy mayonnaise packs a soft bread roll and is so delicious that I’ve craved them every day since leaving Peru.
Cevichería Barra Maretazo
For authentic Peruvian cuisine, Claudia points me to Cevichería Barra Maretazo.
When I arrive it’s basically deserted; I’m the only person there until a few lost-looking tourists hesitantly enter.
The menu is extensive, with fresh fish, roasted meats and Peru’s signature rice dishes.
Feeling uncharacteristically brave, I ask the waiter (via Google Translate) to pick me a dish that’s dairy-free, and I’ll have that.
Moments later, I smell roast chicken before I see it placed before me on a bed of coriander rice and beans, accompanied by passion fruit sauce.
The meat falls so effortlessly off the bone, and the rice is brilliantly salty with fruity sauce that glows bright yellow on the plate. It’s a feast for the eyes.
I’ve been known to devour six Deliveroo orders in a day, but I can’t even finish this singular dish, which would easily be enough to do me for lunch and dinner if only I could take a doggy bag home. Once again, it’s £12.
Kazua
If you haven’t had at least one ceviche in Lima, have you really been to Lima?
You have, but you’ve missed out on the most celebrated dish of Peru: raw fish cured in lime juice with plantain, corn and, in this instance, sweet potato.
Ceviche is likely to appear on every menu across Central America, but I’ve been tipped that Kauza’s can’t be topped, so here I am.
Admittedly, it is the only ceviche of my entire trip, but I would comfortably bet that it was up there with the best of the best.
The dish, by its nature, is simple but effective, with high-grade local ingredients and another enormously sized bowl filled with crunchy plantain chips, smooth sweet potato and giant chunks of meaty raw fish drenched with sharp lime.
I’ve tried to recreate it at home, assuming it must be simple to make, but despite a valiant effort, it pales in comparison.
The price? Once again, just £12.
How to get to Lima
There are no direct flights from London to Lima so the fastest options are via Amsterdam or Madrid.
The journey is roughly 15 hours in total, and prices start from around £600 return.
Land at Jorge Chávez International, then either take Airport Express Lima into the city or take a cab which takes approximately 45 minutes and cost me around £20.
I was recommended to head toward the coast and stay at Miraflores which is buzzing with bars and restaurants, boasts Kennedy Park which is a perfect spot to relax with a a coffee and pasty and ceviche everywhere.
But just next door is Barranco, another local favourite area covered in murals, bohemian shops, cafes, restaurants and full of small family-run guesthouses that are slightly cheaper than Miraflores’ hotels.
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