The San Cristobal hill in Lima, is located in Rimac district, this has been the silent watchman of the Peruvian capital over the millennia in which man has lived on this site. Witness of the growth of the city, it is a site of Catholic pilgrimage and an important tourist attraction.
It is an elevation that rises 300 meters above the level of the city. The formation belongs, orographically, to the isolated hills of the Andes mountain range.
A narrow and vertiginous road takes the tourist to the top of the hill. The cross that crowns the elevation dates from the early years of the 20th century, when it replaced an old symbol that corroded over the years.
The current one is built of reinforced concrete and measures 20 meters, in addition to being equipped with lighting.
Between the slopes of the emblematic San Cristóbal hill is the neighborhood of Leticia, whose streets and houses —approximately 1,200— now form a gigantic and colorful canvas of more than 320,000 square meters.
This immense work of art that adorns the ‘apu protector de Lima’ can be seen from La Muralla park, located on the other side of the Rímac river.
This colorful artistic representation is considered the largest urban mural in Latin America, as it is larger than others such as the one in the Chualluma neighborhood, in La Paz (Bolivia), which has 150 painted houses, or the one in Las Palmitas, located in Pachuca ( Mexico), which has a total of 209 striking homes.
What to do on Cerro San Cristóbal?
Touring the top of the viewpoint, as well as the site museum, is an excellent idea when you go up to San Cristobal.
From the top you can see the majesty and dimension of the beautiful capital of Peru.
You can guess the buildings you will see from the top. If you look just to the west you will see, below, the emblematic and historic Plaza de Toros de Acho, followed by the Rímac riverbed, lined with avenues and highways.
The entire front is the fence of Lima, the founding area of the city, the land where Francisco Pizarro ordered the first layout to be built on ancient buildings of the Inca culture.
From the left of the Acho square you can identify the Huánuco bridge, the Ricardo Palma bridge that connects with Abancay avenue, and the one on Tacna avenue.
You will also see the park of La Muralla, and the tallest towers of the main temples can be seen: the cathedral, the church of San Francisco, the Basilica of Veracruz and the church of Santa Rosa.
As far as the eye can see, Lima rises. On clear days you will be able to see the coastline, and the foothills of the Andes, the column of hills to which San Cristóbal belongs.
The viewpoint offers a privileged panoramic view of Lima. Take the photos you want with an unrepeatable and unique background frame, the illustrious and magical capital of the Republic of Peru.