During my visit to Peru, I spent a couple of nights at the JW Marriott in Miraflores. The Marriott overlooks the Pacific Ocean, across the street from a sprawling shopping complex known as Larcomar. I generally like to experience local customs and flavor when I travel, so Larcomar was not high on my list of places to visit. The shopping complex had restaurants and coffee shops that you would expect to find in any US city. It was close to our hotel, which made it convenient for us to grab a couple of meals and some excellent gelato without venturing far from our hotel.
Larcomar is perched atop the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Miraflores. The scenic setting is home to a multi-level shopping center built into the bluffs. The shopping center houses a movie theater, bowling alley, restaurants, shops and more. The shopping center has an attached underground garage. From the Marriott, the shopping center is a very short walk. The upper plaza contains some artwork and scenic viewpoints from which visitors can see the beach below and boats out in the harbor. A large cross creates a focal point along the far left shore. The restaurant Rosa Nautica is visible on a pier looking out to the right of the shopping center.
Most of the restaurants at Larcomar are standard fare in the United States. I opted for Pardo’s Chicken, which is a restaurant that specializes in Peruvian roasted chicken. Delicious. With prices that run approximately six or seven dollars per meal, it is reasonable, as well. Other restaurants at the shopping center include Chili’s, Disfruta, Friday’s, Havanna, La Bonbonniere, Laritza D’, La Vaca, Makoto Sushi Bar, Mama Batata, Mango’s, Pak Fok (expensive Chinese), Pardo’s Chicken, Portofino, Sofa Café, Starbucks, Tony Romas, Dunkin Donuts and Vivaldino (Italian). The restaurants were a blend of American Chains and local flavors that provided an opportunity for my wife and I to experience the flavors of Peru among the typical mall-back-home restaurants.
Larcomar features a variety of gift shops interspersed throughout the mall. These range from your typical Peruvian crafts to high-quality, expensive crafts. The Peruvians are renowned for their textiles, carvings, metal work (especially silver) and other crafts. These crafts can be found on the cheap at places like the nearby Inka Market near Kennedy Park. If you are looking for high quality merchandise, you can visit some of the specialty shops at the mall. If you are looking for inexpensive gifts, you will save money be skipping the low end shops at the mall and opting for the Inka Market. If you are traveling to any tourist sites, you will also have plenty of opportunities to purchase a variety of crafts at the historical sites.
*Larcomar has a variety of other services available as well. A food court is located on the lower level near the entrance to the underground garage. The cinema sits just beyond the food court one level up. If you need an ATM, there is a Banco Continental. There is also a Scotiabank across the street inside the Marriott. Several tour groups have shops at Larcomar, as well. Peru Rail has an open air display featuring a mock-up of their train seating. You may also book tours through City Sightseeing, Travelmar or Condor Travel. If you need photograph supplies, there is a Kodak shop at the mall. For stress relief, stop in to S3 Free Peru for an inexpensive massage.
If you are staying in Miraflores, there are plenty of things to see and do at or near Larcomar. The shopping center has almost anything you might need. Its close proximity to the JW Marriott made it very convenient for my wife and I. There are a host of other restaurants and shops between Larcomar and Kennedy Park and exceptional fine dining nearby (Rosa Nautica and Astrid y Gaston). The combination of restaurants, gift shops and specialty stores make Larcomar an accessible and scenic place to shop in Miraflores. The presence of major restaurant chains took away some of the novelty of the shopping center, but did not affect the convenience. The presence of local cuisine and shops also provided enough diversity to keep this shopping district from feeling Americanized.
Some of my photos of Peru were inadvertently deleted. These photos are from www.larcomar.com which also has additional information about the shopping center.
