Malecón de Miraflores

What makes it special

The Faro de la Marina, a 22 metre lighthouse of cast iron, stands in Parque El Faro. It served 52 years at Punta Coles in Moquegua before it was taken apart and rebuilt here piece by piece. Miraflorinos treat the lighthouse as the symbol of their whole district.

Below the line of clifftop parks, the Costa Verde beach lies about 70 metres down at the foot of the cliff, with the open Pacific beyond it.

Paragliders take off from the parapuerto, the launch in Parque Antonio Raimondi, and land on that beach below. From the path you can watch each one run to the edge, lift off and glide out over the drop.

Visiting

Start at the lighthouse in Parque El Faro and walk south-east along the cliff, with the sea on your right. The paraglider launch in Parque Antonio Raimondi comes a short walk later, so stop there to watch a few take-offs.

Past the launch the path carries on along the clifftop to Parque del Amor, and Larcomar is a short walk further on from there. Time the walk to arrive at Larcomar for sunset, and watch it from the side that looks west over the ocean.

Guided or on your own

Paragliding here is always tandem: you fly in a harness with a certified pilot, and passenger insurance is included. You book at the launch in Parque Antonio Raimondi without a reservation, and a flight lasts 10 to 15 minutes.

A controller at the launch checks the weather and decides when flights go. Between May and September, coastal fog can cut the number of flights without always stopping them.

Tips

If you want to run the path, go in the evening, because by day it fills with walkers.

If you go down to the beach, expect very cold water and strong Pacific currents, so stay close to shore if you swim.