Hostel Review: Lima Backpackers

Lima, the amazing capital of Peru can be an exhausting city. With its 12 million people, constant traffic jams and cars’ horns and its bustling activity, it can easily get overwhelming. There are plenty of hostels one may stay at in town, and most backpackers pick the area of Miraflores for it is packed with things to do, good restaurants and nightlife. That is, if one would rather opt for a party hostel targeting a younger crowd and doesn’t mind the noise coming from the street day and night. Quiet backpackers who, on the other hand, may be looking for a relaxing place, where they can rest and get a bit of a homey feeling will definitely find that Lima Backpackers, in Santiago de Surco, is an excellent choice. The area is a new, residential development not far from Miraflores (10 minutes by bus to reach the top attractions). Compared to the rest of the city, this is a safe, quiet haven. There are stores around to do your daily shopping should you prefer to eat in: an up-scale supermarket which sells top notch quality groceries; bakeries and small convenience stores are all at a short walking distance.

What makes Lima Backpackers so special compared to other places is that this is not a regular hostel. Much more than that, it is your home away from home. Marco, the owner, opened the hostel after a few years of hosting couchsurfers in his apartment. Having realised that what they missed the most while in hostels was the feeling of being home, when he finally decided to go into business he devoted the majority of his very own place to it. The minute you walk in the door, you will feel cozy. There is a dining room with a large table where guests can sit to enjoy their meals and have breakfast altogether; there are two big comfortable sofas; a bookshelf with interesting reads and guides and a computer station; a stereo and flatscreen tv; a fully equipped kitchen which is kept spotless; an office and just two rooms, each of them with 4 comfortable beds with proper cotton sheets and good quality towels, good lockers, personal convenience light and plugs. One room is a mixed dorm, the other an all female one: each room has its own bathroom. With a total of 8 beds, this means that when the place is fully booked, there will be a total of 9 persons in: the guests and the owner.

Marco runs the place in the smoothest possible way: each guest gets his own metro card for transportation and a map of the city and is provided plenty of information and tips on activities, restaurants, sights. He has a great knowledge of the country and its culture and is more than willing to share it; he is a foodie and will eagerly show you the secrets of Peruvian staples. He will not mind to order some delivery food if you are too tired to go out to eat. He is the gel that keeps the travellers together, making sure they bond and have a good time. While one guest may be preparing dinner, another may be enjoying a book and a glass of wine. At the same time, Marco walks in and starts preparing his famous Pisco Sour, which he then offers to the guests. The overall feeling is that of a group of old friends sitting together for a relaxing dinner, drinks and a chat.

You will want to go back, that’s a fact.