Americas

[Visited: March 2010 and before]

The coastline of Lima is directly on the Pacific Ocean, but most of the city lies a little higher than where the waves hit the South American continent. There is, therefore, almost no pleasant boulevard where you can go strolling with direct connection with the sea. Higher up on the cliffs, though, a substitute is developing. Shopping malls and high class restaurants with fabulous views and a promenade with some green spaces are making Miraflores a pleasant place also for ocean viewing. One such green space is the aptly named Parque del Amor - which occupies one of the best spots along the coast.
Situated right on the edge of the cliffs north of the Larcomar shopping centre, the Parque del Amor, or Park of Love, sits next to the boulevard running all along the coastline. Coming from the south, you first pass another park which is bigger, and more of a family park with ample opportunity to relax and enjoy the sun. A few hundred metres onward, you come to the smaller Parque del Amor which attracts a different crowd. Here, you can still find families, after all, the park has an attractive look. But the proportion of teenager couples is much higher here - taking advantage of this small corner of the busy city where they can probably not find much peace or space, but at least an environment with likeminded couples.
While local custom still makes it uneasy or downright impossible for couples to meet in their parents homes, Lima does not have an abundance of green space everywhere. It seemed therefore logical to create a special spot where lovers could meet. Opened on Valentine Day in 1993, the Parque del Amor has a long undulating wall which is decorated with mosaics created with colourful broken tiles - representing flowers and animals, as well as quotes about love and famous lovers like Marilyn Monroe. The wall actually is the backside of one large bench - but whenever I visited, I did not see any couple using it as such. The shape of the wall, and the colour of the mosaics inevitably reminds one of the Park Güell in Barcelona, to which it certainly has some resemblance. In the very centre of the park is El Beso, or The Kiss, a sculpture by local artist Victor Delfin, depicting a young couple engaged in a passionate kiss. No matter your romantic circumstances, this is anyway a great place to come and watch the sun set over the Pacific below, and behind the islands in a distance.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Parque del Amor (Peru). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Parque del Amor.
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Parque del Amor > Peru > Americas

[Visited: March 2010 and before]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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