Callao (Lima): 28 Mar 2009 to 2 Apr 2009

Callao, Lima’s port, is just six miles from the city centre. The “City of the Kings" was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 following the conquest by Spain of the indigenous Inca civilization. Modern Lima is a sprawling city of more than nine million, one-third of the entire country’s population. Some fine examples of colonial architecture remain in the old centre of the city, much of which was destroyed by a major earthquake in 1746. The city boasts a number of excellent museums, including the Museo de la Nación, focussing on Peru's ancient civilizations; El Museo de Arte de Lima and the Museo de Oro del Peru, featuring gold jewelry encrusted with precious stones.

The pre-Inca ruins of Pachacamac lie a short distance south of the city. Once a ceremonial site, Pachacamac has been the most important religious centre of the Andean world since before the age of Christ. Many visitors venture further afield, to the ancient capital of Cusco and the fabled ruins of Machu Picchu, “the Jewel in the Mist.”