After years of neglect, the Peruvian capital has regained much of its old town and began to attract tourists. Pollution can be stifling, humid haze of the Pacific is called drizzle in the air, but this old gem, Lima, the city that for years have avoided international travelers, has managed to recover in recent years, all in large part the colonial splendor of the old town.

A number of factors have combined to achieve a relative restore order and decorum in the streets in the heart of Lima. It has built huge public housing on the outskirts, have enabled social services for residents of slums and police have on occasion taken steps to root out radical vagrants and beggars from the center.

The single most important Renaissance Lima was its designation as a World Heritage site by Unesco. The first recognition came in 1988, for the convent of San Francisco and in 1991 Unesco extended it to all the colonial historic center. The UNESCO designation was interpreted as an impetus for the preservation of historical sites and not as recognition of the work done by governments. But when rumors surfaced a few years ago on the withdrawal of the title by Unesco did not care if the historical center, Lima began to take seriously the work of restoration and conservation.

Million dollar investment for the redevelopment of the city:

Today the police patrol the Plaza San Martin and Plaza Mayor, the two most important and central nucleus of the Spanish colonial government since the founding of Lima in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro. The current mayor of the capital, Luis Castaneda, and his predecessor have invested millions of dollars in public funds to paint and illuminate the historical buildings, plazas and shopping areas.

Have also been arranged crumbling buildings, parks and streets and pedestrian zones have been created, often in collaboration with private enterprises have also benefited from the restoration work.

Other parts of Lima have also undergone a «facelift». Since the mid 1970s much of the residential and commercial life revolved around Lima district of Miraflores and San Isidro, on the coast, with its towers of apartments, luxury estates, five star hotels and the huge Larco Mar shopping center on the edge of the beach.

Now there are plans for a massive urban renewal project in the Santa Cruz, Miraflores. The plan envisages the demolition of garages and ramshackle shops and the old army barracks in San Martin, to build a residential, commercial and tourism which will build a five star hotel, a convention center and first-class restaurants.

Then there is the Magic Circuit of Water in the Parque de la Reserva in Lima, with 13 illuminated fountains, including a geyser 200 feet high and another source with a laser light show and music. This has become one of the most visited by domestic and foreign tourists. Since it was completed in 2007, the Park Reserve has received seven million visitors.

Enjoy your trip to Lima!.