On this Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to highlight a romantic destination that is a little unexpected. When people think of romantic cities, Paris or Venice might immediately come to mind, and for good reason! Lima, on the other hand, is not a city that most people around the world associated with love, passion and sweethearts. But the Peruvians are quite romantic and dedicated an entire park to love - complete with poetry, art and dramatic views.
The Love Park, or Parque del Amor, is located in the Miraflores area of Lima. It is situated along the malecon which lies atop massive cliffs that cascade into a wide beach along the Pacific. The view can be breathtaking on a clear day, and especially romantic at sunset.
Legend has it that the origins of Parque del Amor lie with the Peruvian poet Antonio Cilloniz's lament "In the cities, they do not build monuments to lovers". Cilloniz has a valid point; most cities have monuments to war heroes and battles. This resonated with the town of Miraflores so they built El Parque del Amor in 1993 and opened it on Valentine's Day. The park is dedicated to all lovers and is artfully decorated in colorful mosaics, poems and a massive sculpture by Victor Delfin called El Beso (the kiss) which stands over the words of Anotonio Cilloniz. El Beso features two lovers embracing and is meant to celebrate the lovers who gather to watch the sunset over the Pacific.
It's a lovely park and definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Lima. Happy Valentines Day!
The Love Park, or Parque del Amor, is located in the Miraflores area of Lima. It is situated along the malecon which lies atop massive cliffs that cascade into a wide beach along the Pacific. The view can be breathtaking on a clear day, and especially romantic at sunset.
Legend has it that the origins of Parque del Amor lie with the Peruvian poet Antonio Cilloniz's lament "In the cities, they do not build monuments to lovers". Cilloniz has a valid point; most cities have monuments to war heroes and battles. This resonated with the town of Miraflores so they built El Parque del Amor in 1993 and opened it on Valentine's Day. The park is dedicated to all lovers and is artfully decorated in colorful mosaics, poems and a massive sculpture by Victor Delfin called El Beso (the kiss) which stands over the words of Anotonio Cilloniz. El Beso features two lovers embracing and is meant to celebrate the lovers who gather to watch the sunset over the Pacific.
It's a lovely park and definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Lima. Happy Valentines Day!
Victor Delfin's El Beso (The Kiss). This statue is meant to celebrate al the lovers who gather along Lima's malecon to watch the sunset. Rumor has it that there is a kissing competition under this statue on Valentine's Day - the longest kiss wins!
Love poems cover the walls and benches in the park. "Amor es como luz" translates to "Love is like light" and "Tuyo soy como mi cuerpo de la tierra que lo aguarda" translates to "I am yours as my body is of the earth that awaits it".
Colorful mosaics
Instead of tree trunks, couples carve their names into aloe plants.
The park bench resembles the one in Antoni Gaudí's Park Güell in Barcelona.
Beautiful mosaics covered in love poems
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Dramatic views
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It doesn't get much more romantic than this.
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