Land late afternoon, taxi straight to Miraflores, check into a boutique spot with ocean-view balcony if you splurge. Drop bags, walk the malecón, sea wind slaps your face awake. First sunset from Parque del Amor, mosaic benches swirl like Gaudí, couples whisper, waves crash below. Street vendor sells choclo con queso, giant corn kernels and fresh cheese, salty sweet starter. Stomach growls, good sign.

Day one, ceviche mission. Breakfast light, pan con chicharrón from a market cart, pork sandwich with sweet potato, coffee thick as mud. Then ceviche crawl in Miraflores. Start at a hole-in-wall, counter only, watch the maestro slice corvina paper-thin, toss with lime juice that cooks it magic, red onions crisp, cancha corn crunching. Spoon the leche de tigre, tangy broth, chug it like soup. Walk it off along the cliffs, paragliders swoop overhead, green parks roll to the edge.

Afternoon ruins, Huaca Pucllana rises like a sandcastle in the middle of the district. Adobe pyramid, 1,500 years old, guide explains rituals and offerings, mummies found with pottery still intact. Sunset tour best, lights glow warm on the bricks, city hums around this silent giant. Restaurant on site serves modern Peruvian, try the tuna with yellow chili, but save room.

Evening coastal dinner, book a cliffside table if possible. Pisco sour arrives frothy, egg white perfect, bite of lime. Start with tiradito, sashimi-style fish in aji amarillo sauce, silky heat. Main course, arroz con pato, duck leg confit over cilantro rice, dark beer sauce. Watch lights twinkle across the bay, fog rolls in soft. Dessert, suspiro a la limeña, dulce de leche with meringue, spoon fights inevitable.

Day two, deeper history. Bus to centro histórico, Plaza de Armas glows yellow, cathedral looms. Duck into catacombs under San Francisco, bones stacked neat, eerie quiet. Then Museo Larco, pre-Columbian gold and ceramics, erotic pottery section raises eyebrows. Lunch nearby, anticuchos on the street, beef heart skewers smoky, potatoes in huancaina sauce, creamy spicy.

Afternoon free, Barranco neighborhood. Bridge of Sighs, wooden and romantic, street art everywhere, murals of Incas on skateboards. Coffee at a converted mansion, beans from Cusco, pour-over smooth. Walk to the ocean, Bajada de Baños, steps down to rocky beach, fishermen mend nets. Sunset again, different angle, sky burns red over waves.

Night market hop, Surquillo market one stop from Miraflores. Stalls steam with causa, layered potato cakes with chicken or crab, purple potatoes vivid. Try rocoto relleno, stuffed pepper with beef and cheese, heat builds slow. Wash down with chicha morada, purple corn drink, sweet tart. Vendors shout, squeeze through crowds, buy lucuma ice cream cone, fruity custard flavor.

Day three, Pachacamac ruins, half hour south. Massive site, temples to sun and sea gods, desert wind whips sand. Guide points adobe walls rebuilt after earthquakes, view to ocean where offerings were tossed. Picnic lunch, tamales wrapped in banana leaves, chicken and olives inside. Back in Lima, cooking class maybe, learn ceviche ratios, pisco sour shake, hands-on messy fun.

Miraflores again for sunset picnic, buy from La Lucha sanguchería, chicharrón sandwich dripping, butifarra ham one too. Sit on the grass above cliffs, jug of maracuyá sour, passion fruit punch. Paragliders land nearby, kids chase kites. Sky fades lavender, city lights blink on, perfect.