When you first see the Costa Verde Cliffs in Lima, they look almost sculpted. The cliffs run for about 16 kilometers (10 miles) along the Pacific Coast. They are 50 to 60 meters (160 to 190 feet) high and consist of something called Lima conglomerate, rocks naturally but loosely cemented together. Google’s AI summary of the cliffs says they are relatively unstable. They are beautiful to look at but are located in a seismic area and there are high rise apartment buildings running along the top of some of the cliffs. I live in a highly seismic area, but the greywacke is a bit more stable than Lima conglomerate, so I was curious and looked up several studies about the stability of the cliffs. A 2023 study presented at the 9th International Congress of Environmental Geotechnics says, in its own quaint way of the cliffs; “Considering that the cliff is located in a seismic zone, the problem may have greater consequences than to be regretted (sic).” And goes on; “Nowadays the cliffs present a superficial protection measure against landslides by means of the use of meshes, which in the course of time have proved to be insufficient.”
But it is those meshes that give the cliffs their sculpted look. And over the 10 years since we last saw these cliffs plants and flowers are growing in the mesh. It is really beautiful from a distance. Up close, it is alarming. A roadway at the bottom of the cliffs protects them from the pounding surf.
While there are high rises on the cliff edges along some parts of their run and a shopping mall built into the cliffs, many of the cliff tops in Lima’s Miraflores district are parkland. Miraflores is, what Lonely Planet calls, the “New Downtown,” an upscale area of shops, restaurants and apartments. It is also where many of the high-class tourist hotels are. It’s where the Holland America shuttle bus drops us. From there we can get a cab to downtown. Holland thinks it is unsafe for us to grab a cab in Callao (the port district). Ten years ago, we grabbed cabs from the port gate, but things can change in 10 years.
On a Sunday afternoon this is a great place to stroll and watch the action as families, lovers and a Hare Krishna drum circle enjoy the park. Part of the park is dedicated to lovers, and one section to paragliders who take advantage of the updrafts coming up the cliff face.
Below Miraflores’ cliffs is the beach with surfers, mostly in wet suits, try the cold waters of the Humboldt Current.
There seem to be a lot of people sitting staring at their mobile phones, I guess not much different from me sitting under a tree and reading a book.
Ten years ago I wrote about this park in my blog. You can read about it here.
