Lima Health and Safety

As in the rest of the country, tap water is not potable, so always be sure to drink bottled water, and avoid ice unless you are in a reputable café or restaurant. Bottled mineral water is cheaply available everywhere, and so the problem of potable water is relatively easy to overcome.

As for fruit and vegetables, good restaurants will use purified water to wash fruit, vegetables, and salads. If in doubt, ask. If you wish to be extra careful it is best to stick to salads made from boiled vegetables (carrots, beans, beetroot, boiled eggs, etc).

The most common offense committed against tourists is theft, mostly in the form of pick pocketing, but this can be avoided with general common sense and a sensibly low profile. In other words, while out and about do not flaunt expensive belongings such as cameras, portable media players (iPods), or cellular phones. While infrequent, muggings do happen in certain parts of Lima, such as in the downtown shopping areas. Again, a few simple precautions can make life a lot easier. A sensible practice is to only carry with you what you will be likely to spend during the day, and keep the rest of your valuables, including documents, back at the hotel in your room safe. If you wish to carry a credit card be sure to leave another one in the safe, just in case. And as for terrorism – as the South American Explorers' Club once described it – “the visitor, when considering his safety, would be better off concentrating on how to avoid being run over in the crazed Lima traffic.”