What's the Weather like in Lima in December
Temperature
The weather continues to get warmer in Lima, Peru in December and it can get very hot on occasions, with a high of 30.4°C on record. However, the average temperature in November is a more bearable 21°C with a high of 24.5°C and a low of 18.5°C, meaning the nights can be uncomfortably warm. This is a good month to break out the swimming costumes for a dip in the ocean, as the average sea temperature in Lima climbs to 21°C. Check out our local weather report for more information.
Rainfall
The average December rainfall in Lima is double that of November, but that is still extremely low, with just 0.2mm/0.007inches on no more than half a day on average. In other words, the chances of rain are still very low.
Sunshine Hours
Lima gets average daily sunshine of five hours a day, or 155 for the month. This compares to an average of six hours for New York, USA in December, where it is midwinter. Lima will be cloudy for just over half the month on average, with a 57 per cent chance of the skies being obscured.
December days are long, with between 12 hours and 47 minutes and 12 hours and 50 minutes of daylight and the longest day of the year falls on December 21, when the sun rises at 5.41am and sets at 6.31pm. The average relative humidity in Lima in December is the lowest of the year, at 81.5 per cent.
Wind
Lima's average wind speed falls gradually throughout December, from 8.7mph to 8.2mph, with the wind again coming primarily from the south. This compares to the windiest day of the year on September 20, at 9.6mph.
Dress Code
This is a month when the temperatures are rising and there is little or no rain, so summer clothing will be needed for most of the time, with a cover-up for cooler evenings. Take your swimming gear too, as the average sea temperature is perfect for an ocean swim at 21C°C. Look at our 14-day forecast for Lima before you leave for the latest weather.
Lima Hotels in December
Swissotel Lima
The Swissotel Lima has all the facilities you would expect of a five-star hotel. It is in Lima's San Isidro business district, within easy reach of the historical city centre and Miraflores. There are 345 well-appointed rooms and suites, a newly renovated swimming pool and fitness centre and a spa offering beauty treatments and massages. You can eat and drink to your heart's content, with a deli, café and three restaurants serving everything from sushi to Mediterranean and Peruvian dishes.
Faraona Grand Hotel
The Faraona Grand Hotel is an affordable and highly-rated three-star option in downtown Miraflores, close to Kennedy Park and the area's restaurants, bars and other attractions. It has a lovely swimming pool and sun terrace on the seventh floor, the first floor Papyrus restaurant serving breakfast lunch and dinner and the Alikhan bar in the lobby for pre or post-dinner drinks.
Larq'a Park Rooms
The basic but immaculate budget option offered by the self-catering Larq'a Park Rooms is worth considering, particularly it is located right in the middle of Miraflores close to all its amenities. The apartments are a few feet from Kennedy Park and less than 1km from the huge Larcomar shopping mall. All rooms have flat screen TVs, modern bathrooms, a minibar, WIFI and tea and coffee facilities. There's a 24-hour reception and free WIFI.
Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel
A stylish bar, the Belo, at the Miraflores Park Hotel sums up the ambience here with leather sofas, bookcases and low lights creating a classy yet relaxed atmosphere. But there's much more to this establishment set in beautiful gardens overlooking the Pacific. Rooms go from standard doubles to suites with plunge pools and there is a stunning rooftop swimming pool for guests with endless city and ocean views. Two highly-praised restaurants, a gym and spa complete the five-star experience.
Bars and Restaurants
Maras
Jostling for position with other bars and eating places at Lima's huge Westin hotel and conference centre, Maras stands out from the rest thanks to the pedigree of its chef Rafael Piqueras, who is a Peruvian culinary celebrity. The service matches the high quality of the food, with white tablecloths and attentive waiting staff serving food that draws influences from the coast, the Amazon and the Andes. There is also a great bar which gets very crowded on most nights.
Osaka
Osaka is one of the best examples of Nikkei cuisine in Peru, let alone Lima. This fusion of Japanese and traditional Peruvian cuisine stems from Japanese immigrants who arrived in large numbers more than a century ago. Osaka now has several international branches and this is an upmarket experience, using unusual ingredients such as cushuro, a bacteria found in lakes in the Andes.
Cosme
Cosme in San Isidro opened in 2015 and became an instant hit. It is named after one of Lima's slums, or favelas, where people ate home-made food together in large, sociable groups while catching up on the gossip. Chef James Berckemeyer and his partners have applied that approach to their restaurant, serving dishes such as grilled chicken gizzards and pork belly buns, washed down with pisco drinks and home-made sodas.
Papacho's
Most visitors want to try the local cuisine when they visit Lima, but for those who miss their fix of burgers, Gastón Acurio's Papacho's in Miraflores has perfected the art and added a Peruvian twist. Burgers comes as they are or with sliced sweet potatoes and huancaína sauce. There are several veggie burger options using ingredients such as quinoa and locro, a Peruvian squash.
Things to do in Lima in December
Take a boat trip
With the return of summer and rising temperatures, escape from the heat and humidity of Lima into the Pacific Ocean on one of the many boat trips that go from Callao harbour. There is a lot to see, with an abandoned island prison, a ship's graveyard, fishermen catching tonight's supper, seals and whales en-route to the Palomino Islands, once home to pirates but now a wildlife haven.
Head for a park
Lima is a city full of parks which provide a welcome oasis from the noise and traffic of this huge metropolis. All have different things to offer, from Kennedy Park in Miraflores, with its huge cat population and great food stalls, to Parque de la Reserva with its enormous fountains. There's also Parque de la Muralla where you can see the old city walls and Bosque el Olivar in San Isidro, rated one of the city's prettiest parks.
Museo de Arte de Lima
The Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) is in the grand surroundings of the Palacio de la Exposición, a Neo-Renaissance palace built in 1871. The collection's stunning works range from ancient to modern eras and include pre-Hispanic, colonial, republican, modern and contemporary art. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday and admission is free at certain times.
Christmas in Lima
Many things about a Peruvian Christmas will be familiar to visitors: Christmas trees, lights and decorations for starters. They also have a turkey for Christmas dinner and Father Christmas makes regular appearances. There are differences too. Christmas Eve, La Noche Buena, is a big party day when families come together and after late mass, expect fireworks everywhere you go followed by Christmas dinner at midnight. Feliz Navidad!
