Five Cafes in Miraflores You Must Visit

One of my favorite spots to visit, no matter where in the world, are cafes.  Cafes have an authentic and local feeling to them that chain restaurants cannot offer.  When visiting cafes in Lima , it is a local experience. During my time in Lima, I never visited Starbucks.  

Why would you pay more for an unauthentic cafe experience?

The neighborhood of Miraflores is more touristy and known to be home to more chain restaurants and cafes, and this is something I wish I knew about the neighborhood ahead of time.  It can be tempting to go to these chain places, as they may provide some comfort being abroad. However, you should know that Miraflores has a myriad of options for small, locally owned businesses.

Here are 5 local cafes in Miraflores that you must visit!

1. El Pan de La Chola

This is my favorite cafes in all of Peru.  El Pan de La Chola has a warm atmosphere, with amazing coffee and bread that is fresh every single day.  You can come here to do some work and study or grab some coffee or a meal with friends. I remember that I loved their jamón con queso, or ham with cheese, sandwich and their avocado toast as well. There is also another location in San Isidro that is just as impressive!

2. Dolce Capriccio

If you are looking for something sweet with some coffee, this is the place for you.  Dolce Capriccio has a very homey feeling, as it looks to have been a former residence turned cafe.  I was in love with their chocolate cake paired with an espresso. The atmosphere is more like a restaurant, so it may not be the best study spot, but definitely worth visiting in your free time!

3. Pasteleria El Buen Gusto

If you are in search of some of the best pastries in Miraflores, this bakery is a must-visit.  Pasteleria El Buen Gusto has freshly baked bread daily along with delicious desserts. This bakery was closely located to my homestay so I would often grab a cup of coffee with some bread or pastry to get my morning started!

4. Homemade

This is a cafe that I visited many times when I was in Lima.  Homemade offers a wide range of options, from coffee and desserts to full meals.  I would recommend coming here for a piece tres leches cake and a cortado.

Tres leches is my favorite kind of cake when in Peru, it is a sponge cake consisting of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.  Cortado is an espresso mixed with an equal amount of warm milk. This is more of a sit down type of place, but you will not be disappointed in their sweets and coffee!

5. Coffee Time

When I was studying at the Spanish language school El Sol I stumbled upon a hidden gem in Miraflores. Coffee Time is a very tiny cafe that serves coffee, pastries, and small foods at very reasonable prices.  It is located only a block from El Sol and I would sometimes stop in during breaks for a coffee and an empanada. You may walk pass it and miss it, but it is worth checking out!

When you are abroad, you may be tempted to visit places that you are familiar and comfortable with. However, you should explore more when you are abroad! The good thing about exploring different places is that there are a lot of options for you to choose from.  Enjoy the experiences that are singular and unique to Peru and you will feel even better about the coffee you will be sipping on.

In & Around Lima, Peru: Five Fun Day Visits

When in Peru, there are several destinations that are worth visiting, but there are certain areas that can get overlooked. Lima’s history, art and gastronomy is hidden throughout its neighborhoods and smaller cities surrounding the Peruvian capital. Each of these places will expose you to the diversity of Peru and you will without a doubt enjoy your time at these fun and multicultural destinations.

Here are five valuable trips in and around Lima that are worth looking as you look to immerse yourself in Peruvian culture:

1. El Centro (Lima)

When you are in some neighborhoods of Lima, such as Miraflores or San Isidro, they have a very modern and new feeling to them.  In order to gauge and witness the age of Lima, a trip to “El Centro” (the city center of Lima) will give you a sense of the rich history of Lima.

Home to colonial Spain-inspired architecture and the political center of Lima, this area is also constantly buzzing with street performances, parades, and festivals.  Whether you want to eat traditional Peruvian cuisine or Chifa (a mixture of Chinese and Peruvian food) in El Centro’s Chinatown, you will definitely eat well. I have also eaten the best churro in my life in El Centro!

2. Barranco (Lima)

Barranco is Lima’s most artistic neighborhood.  You will be able to visit local art shops, art museums, and exhibitions.  It is super accessible from Miraflores, being only a fifteen to twenty minute car ride.  Barranco’s must-visit spot is El Puente de Suspiros. “Un suspiro” is a sigh or a gasp so you can imagine that this bridge is breath taking!

When you visit for the first time, you must hold your breath for the entire time it takes you to cross the bridge while making a wish.  This site is both romantic and breathtaking, not to mention the awesome views of the Pacific. There are many restaurant options in the area, as well as one of the best ice cream and dessert places in all of Lima called Blu Gelateria right near Plaza Barranco.  Barranco is great for some down-time and you can easily access the beach and take a leisurely walk.

3. Churillos (Lima)

Churillos is known for having many beaches that you can easily get to in Lima without having to travel for hours.  While they are not the most amazing beaches in the world, I found them to be the best that Lima itself has to offer.  

You can do a beach day in Churillos or travel to one of the highest points in Churrillos to take in an amazing panoramic view of all of Lima.  This highest point also has one of the world’s largest statues of Jesus.

4. Callao (Lima)

Want to swim with sea lions? Callao, more specifically El Punto de Callao?  This is the place to visit if you are looking for some adventure locally.  

You can take a boat ride as a part of a tour to have a scenic day out on the water, and also swim with some sea lions if you feeling adventurous!  After a couple hours out at sea, you can treat yourself to some delicious and freshly made chicharron or ceviche that tastes even better by the coast!

5. Ica

A day trip to the city of Ica is a must when in Peru. Unlike Lima, Ica is sunny and warm year-round so you can visit any time of the year!  This trip should be more than one day, as it takes four hours by bus to get to Ica from Lima.  

Once in Ica, you can go sand-boarding while riding in a dune-buggy through the desert. When I was in Ica, I witnessed the most beautiful sunset while in the desert.  Ica is also home to one of South America’s only oasis. Ica is one of Peru’s most beautiful and warm-spirited places, so you will not regret a little trip here!

By traveling to these different destinations in Peru, you can obtain a wider view of what Peru truly has to offer. Even while abroad, it is great to get outside of the neighborhood that you may live in and frequent often. If you do not see these areas you are missing out on absorbing Peru’s regional cultural diversity.  If you find yourself in Lima for most of your time, it is refreshing to expose yourself to different scenery and more nature places. If you find yourself abroad, you must see more than the tourist spots and explore to fully take in all of Peru!  

If you’re interested in learning more about Lima, and Peru in general, definitely read Why Study in Peru! And you can learn more about studying abroad in Peru with EdOdyssey.

How Study Abroad with EdOdyssey Prepared Me for Harvard

One of the world’s biggest Buddhas behind me!

My name is Jake Leary and I am currently a freshman at Harvard University, but the journey to get on campus has taken me from Massachusetts, around the world, and back home. I do not know my concentration (Havard’s fancy term for a major) yet, but I am very interested in Government and East Asian Studies. I am from Brockton, Massachusetts and attended high school in Boston. I was very involved in our writing club, jazz band, yearbook publication, and running cross-country for four years in high school. In the fall of 2016, as I went into my senior year, I had no idea that I would be taking gap year after graduating and travelling the world to countries like China and Peru. I did not really even know what a gap year was, nor that a gap year was possible for me. However, looking back on it, this became the best possible path for me to take.

During the final month of my senior year in high school, I decided I wanted to take a gap year. After thinking long and hard about it, I knew that I needed to give myself a break. This was not only a break from the routines of school and school work, but a deep breath to slow my life down.

How I learned breathing techniques and how to meditate in China.

As I look back on my senior year of high school, it turned out as the most stressful year of school for me and it didn’t allow me time to consider the next step after college. If I went straight into studying in college, I would have felt the burnout from high school, but luckily, I felt supported when I told my close friends, teachers, and mentors at my high school. However, I kept getting asked the same, repetitive question: “So what are you going to do?”. I had not given much thought to this which I probably should have, but I responded: “I might want to travel, but I will figure it out.” This simple, general response probably scared a bit those who asked, especially my school’s principal and president, when their valedictorian essentially had no clue what he was doing with this year off.

Despite the little worry I had about my future plans, I knew that everything would work out. This self-assured feeling became especially true when I found out about EdOdyssey after graduating. I had an inkling that I wanted to travel, and EdOdyssey’s several travel destinations for students intrigued me. After talking with EdOdyssey about possible plans for my gap year travels, I became very excited to embark on this journey.

Loved the Chinese tea!

Prior to my gap year, I had never travelled outside of the United States and felt something missing from the experiences in my life. With a desire to learn Mandarin for the first time, my first destination that I decided to travel to was China, halfway across the world. At 18, if you told me that I was moving to China, I would have never believed you. After arriving at night in Beijing, I was a little intimidated to say the least, since I could basically only say 你好 (hello) in Mandarin. After arriving in China, my hosts referred me to a breakfast that I later found because I was starving after 19 hours of travel. Now it was time for me to order something to the best of my ability which turned into an unforgettable experience.

Luckily, when I went to the counter of the restaurant, a boy around my age who spoke some English helped me order my soup and baozi--a steamed bun filled with meat-- which felt strange eating meat at 9am. Despite my reservations, I took my food and sat down at a communal table and started a conversation with a woman and her parents, from what I could tell. Although the meat tasted great, they noticed that I did not love my soup so they handed me a warm piece of bread. I told them my story through Google translate and then asked them where I could buy bottled water. After finishing eating, they walked me all the way to the grocery store. Despite a language barrier, it was these complete strangers’ natural instinct to help me. This kind of hospitality and friendliness I later continued to experience and encounter throughout my entire trip in China.

One of my favorite experiences in China was when I studied Mandarin for the first time in my life in the small city of Guilin (population of 5 million, a small city for China standards). At the language school recommended by EdOdyssey (Chinese Language Institute), it was extremely valuable to have one-on-one classes with my Chinese teacher, and solely focus on my study of Mandarin. Since I did not take Mandarin classes in high school, it made a tremendous difference studying a new language in its native country. I took what I learned in my classes and practiced persistently when I asked locals questions, went out to eat, and explored the city. My experience with Mandarin challenged me, but I did not feel as intimidated as I first thought. Even though I studied hard, I met tons of new and incredible people and had loads of fun simultaneously.

After teaching high school students in China about culture in the United States!

Reflecting on my experience in China, I now realize how valuable it truly was because of all of the amazing people I met, my newfound interest in Mandarin, and personal growth. If I had not received all of the help and guidance from EdOdyssey for my trip to China, I would never have met such amazing friends that brought me back to China this past summer to visit. I also would not have decided to continue my study of Mandarin here at Harvard. As I entered my first Mandarin class this fall at Harvard, I felt very prepared and confident in my foundation of Mandarin that I had established abroad. Within my first week of Mandarin class, while some of my peers struggled to introduce themselves, I could hold conversations with my teachers. After my travels in China, I thought about improving my Spanish, which I could not speak and hold a conversation a year ago.

Soon after my trip to China, I decided that one country would not suffice for my year off, and through EdOdyssey, I headed south to explore Peru. Initially, I felt worried about traveling to Peru because I thought about how I would essentially start from scratch again in a new country. I wanted a new and fresh experience in Peru, one entirely different from mine in China. This fear quickly disappeared as I fell in love with Peru’s numerous destinations, diverse culture, and delicious cuisine.

Papa a La Huancaína is a must-eat!

My homestay experience shaped my entire time in Peru. Living in Lima, with a central location close to all of the restaurants, shops, and downtown area was very convenient. I was only a walk away from one of Lima’s central parks Parque Kennedy with numerous restaurants and shops and the area that overlooked the Pacific Ocean Malecón de Miraflores where I enjoyed morning runs. My helpful host family got me acclimated to this new environment and showed me around to their favorite spots in Lima several times. In my unique homestay experience I only spoke Spanish in the home, forcing me to significantly improve it. I loved sitting with my host parents during meals while eating some of the best food I’ve ever eaten and learning more about Peru, South America, and my host parents’ lives. A cultural difference that I realized, the affection exuded by everyone I met, I soon came to love, with constant hugs and kisses when greeting someone. This speaks volumes to how much love and passion Peruvians truly have in their lives.

I loved most in Peru when I had the opportunities to give back in the form of volunteer work. Going to the community of Pamplona Alta in Lima exposed me to the hardships of many living in Peru, but also the great sense of perseverance and strong-will that its people possess. I helped in constructing concrete stairs, as the citizens of Pamplona Alta must climb the mountain-sides daily. After my experiences in Peru, I learned that life does not have to be so constantly fast-paced as we sometimes make it. This has helped me in how I go about living my life, in handling any stress and managing my time in the best way possible. I have learned to approach life with a more easy-going attitude that I know will stay with me.

In summary, the opportunities to travel because of EdOdyssey have changed my life in a very positive manner. Before my gap year, with a shy and timid personality, I mainly stuck to routines. Through travel, I have grown to become more independent and adventurous. I have also in the process become a strong advocate for students taking a gap year. An amazing chance to learn more about yourself, outside of the comforts of what you are used to, a gap year is transformative. It is a time to take a risk, but a risk with infinite benefits. Nevertheless, I would give the idea of going abroad with EdOdyssey serious thought and you may find yourself reflecting on it, and maybe even writing a blog about your experiences, in one year’s time!

The day before I left Peru, I enjoyed seeing all the places where I visited during my time in Lima from above!

Learn more about studying abroad in Peru with EdOdyssey.