The Legends Park is the oldest and largest zoo in the city of Lima. The Park is located in the district of San Miguel and in addition to having a zoo, it also has an archeology area, a botany area, and offers courses and workshops.
Like a zoo, the Legends Park is divided into 4 zones: the Coast, the Sierra, the Jungle and the International Zone, where the visitor can observe the diversity of animals located according to their habitat.
As part of the archaeological areas of the Parque de las Leyendas, a museum is recognized, in addition to huacas, that is called the Ernst W. Middendorf Museum and was inaugurated in 2003. The peculiarity of the museum is that it is located in an important huaca: Maranga, an archaeological site dating from between the 12th and 16th centuries AD. The museum is inspired by the Maranga culture and is divided into two rooms: the Architecture room and the Artifacts room. It also has a temporary exhibition room known as the “Researchers Room”.
Those interested in botany, and the varied vegetation of Peru, the park of legends also has a Botanical Garden, which presents in its sector a Nucleus for plant acclimatization and propagation, and an Organic Fertilizer Production Center.
Along with the previous resources, the Legends Park also offers, seasonally, the possibility for children to take different courses, such as the Ecological Adventure course, the Chalanes School, the Little Archaeologists course, among others.
People who visit the Legends Park cannot fail to access the other attractions that this zoo has, and which are made up of an artificial lagoon, in which it is possible to navigate in pedal boats or in a motor boat. To the restaurants, candy stalls, among other resources that make the park even more attractive and allow the visitor to want to stay longer in it.
The Lima Zoo
The Legends Park is the oldest zoo in the city of Lima since it was created in 1964. It has approximately 1,585 animals. Most are species rescued from captivity. Some of the most popular specimens are: the spectacled bear, the jaguar, the howler monkey, the water buffalo, the giraffe, the Andean condor, the brown bear and more.
All species are divided into 4 main zones: coast, highlands, jungle, and international zone. In addition, the park has an aviary, a feline and a farm area.
But the park offers much more than that. It also has an immense botanical garden, several huacas where up to 54 archaeological sites with more than 2 thousand years old can be appreciated.
There is also a ‘model mine’, an ‘oil museum’, a ‘site museum’ and a replica of the famous tomb of the Lord of Sipán in the Lambayeque region.
Finally, the park has an outdoor eating area, various games for children, horseback riding, an information center, as well as everything necessary for a pleasant visit: parking, restrooms, garbage cans, and more.
Where is?
The Legends Park is located in the San Miguel district, about 14 kilometers from the Plaza de Armas in Lima and about 11 kilometers from the Miraflores district where most of the city’s tourist hotels are located.
The exact address is: Avenida Parque de las Leyendas 580, San Miguel – Lima, Peru.
How to get?
From the Miraflores district, you can get to the Parque de las leyendas by taxi service, which costs approximately 10 dollars (40 minute trip on average).
Another economical option is to take the ‘OM 18’ line buses that will take you along Avenida La Marina and leave you close to the Parque de las leyendas. The cost of the trip is less than 1 dollar and takes approximately 1 hour.
History
The history of the Legends Park begins in 1964 with the founding of the park ‘Las leyendas’ by the conservationist Felipe Benavides Barreda.
At the beginning of the seventies, the ‘Jardín de Barranco’ zoo was closed, whose animals (more than 400 species) were donated to the new ‘Parque Las Leyendas’ located in the district of San Miguel and under the administration of the Government of Peru.
Its name refers to a wall with ten Inca and pre-Inca legends illustrated by the artist Sabino Springett. Today only the texts of these narratives are preserved in the so-called ‘Patio de las leyendas’. Over the years the population preferred to call the place ‘Park of Legends’.
Since the beginning of the new century, the Municipality of Lima has been the institution that manages the park. Throughout its history, the enclosure was considerably improved. Today it has various areas not only for animals but also for insects, butterflies, cats, a botanical garden and more.
One of the most beloved and historic species is the giant tortoise called Samson, which comes from the Galapagos Island and is over 100 years old.
Coastal zone
As its name indicates, this area of the park is made up of animals and birds that inhabit the coast of Peru. This area has swimming pools and aquariums where you can see marine species such as the famous Humboldt penguins. Other of the most popular species are: the Huallata, the booby, the pelican, the white-tailed deer, the horse, the gray seal, the coastal fox, the guanay, the flamingo, the funny sea lion and the Tumbes crocodile. In the park there are approximately 27 specimens of the Humboldt penguin, a flightless bird that inhabits the cold waters of Peru and Chile.
Sierra area
In the highlands, different species that inhabit the immense Andes Mountains in Peruvian territory can be seen. The mountain area of the park has stairs and mountain-like slopes that resemble the Andean geography. The most famous species in this area are: the alpaca, the guanaco, the llama, the Andean fox, the Andean armadillo, the eagle owl, the great harrier, the pajonal cat, the Andean harrier, the vicuña, the puma concolor and, of course, the Andean condor, the second largest flying bird on the planet (only after the albatross).
Jungle area
The jungle area is the one with the most diversity of species since the Amazon of Peru is the vastest geography of Peru where they inhabit a large number of species of mammals, birds, reptiles and more. The park conditioned hundreds of trees that resemble the characteristic vegetation of the Peruvian jungle. The most representative animals of this area are: the snapping turtle, the iguana, the black motello turtle, the smooth-fronted caiman, the white caiman, the brown-cheeked toucanet, the blue-fronted parrot, the red-backed parrot, the painted parakeet, the Black-headed parrot, the red-fronted parrot, the majaz, the golden añuje, the grison, the white-bearded marmoset, the jaribú, the military macaw, the red and green macaw, the blue and yellow macaw, the white machin monkey, the black maquisapa monkey, the coati, the nine-banded armadillo, the cuvier’s toucan, the cock-of-the-rock, the anaconda, the two-toed sloth, the king vulture, the peccary, the red deer, the yellow otorongo, the capybara, the giant otter, the margay, the tapir, the spectacled bear, the oncilla and more.
International zone
As its name indicates, the international zone is made up of animals from different parts of the world (which can adapt to the zoo and the city of Lima). Some of the most representative species of this area are: the black swan, the white swan, the American tortoise, the Moluccan cockatoo, the washing bear, the red kangaroo, the ostrich, the emu, the meerkat, the dromedary, the Bactrian camel, hippopotamus, water buffalo, Galapagos tortoise, giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Grant’s zebra, brown bear, American black bear, sacred baboon, macaque and more.
It is worth mentioning that the cats of the international zone, as well as cats of the Peruvian jungle, are included in the “feline” of the park. This special area is one of the largest of its kind in all of Latin America. It is a spacious place that complies with all security measures. There you can see the: tiger, jaguar, lion, Bengal tiger, otorongo and more.
Huacas
The park has up to five huacas where different constructions (temples, squares, enclosures and more) have been discovered that date back approximately 2 thousand years. All the huacas were part of the urban settlement called ‘Maranga Archaeological Complex’.
- La huaca 34 – It is a platform in the form of a mound at the top of which are buildings made of wall and adobes that functioned as enclosures in the Republican era. Its bases are still under investigation.
- Huaca San Miguel – This huaca functioned as a warehouse and administrative center during the so-called ‘Regional kingdoms and lordships’ (1100 AD – 1450 AD). There are platforms, sidewalks, storage buildings, corridors, and stairways.
- The Huaca Tres Palos – Also called ‘Huaca Pando’ or ‘Huaca La Campana’. It was a temple and observatory that stood out for its pyramidal shape. In addition to being part of the Maranga culture, it was also used by the Incas and even the Spanish.
- Huaca La Cruz – This huaca served as an administrative center. It is located in the camping area. Archaeological evidence indicates that it was built approximately 700 years ago.
- The Huaca Cruz Blanca – Fulfilled the function of administrative and religious center of the Maranga culture. It has ramps, stairs, squares and niches. It is open to the general public.
Aviary
In this area of the park, also called the ‘Bird Interaction Center’, it is possible to appreciate and interact with a diversity of birds from Peru and the world. The place is well conditioned to enjoy the spectacle of colors, feathers and the music of the birds. Highlights: Brown Dove, Wild Duck, Peacock, Zebrita, Australian Parakeet, Guinea Fowl, Rulrul Partridge, Fan Dove, California Partridge, Red Rorella, Hooded Dove, Golden Pheasant and more.
Farm area
As its name indicates, various domestic animals gather here to make up a ‘mini-farm’. It is a very favorite area for children because it is also allowed to interact with animals. They stand out: the rabbit, the chicken, the pig, the alpaca, the duck, the cow, the donkey, the llama and even the guinea pig.
Botanical Garden
The Legends Park has an immense 47-hectare botanical garden whose tour can take up to 1 hour. In total, it groups 1531 exotic and native species (belonging to 127 families). Its fern garden, bromeliad garden, vulnerable plant garden, cactus, coniferous collection, agave collection, and more stand out. It is worth mentioning that the park authorities also usually carry out research, workshops for children, adults and exhibitions related to the botanical world.
Games and other services
The park also has an artificial lagoon of 30 thousand square meters. There it is possible to ride pedal boats and appreciate a replica of the archaeological site of Machu Picchu, symbol of Peru.
Likewise, the park has an area for mechanical games for the little ones in the house. There are free games as well as more sophisticated ones for adults such as ‘the mirror maze’, ‘the forest of storytelling trees’, ‘the house of surprises’ and more.
The park also has a replica of an underground mine, an oil museum (sponsored by the PetroPerú company) and a site museum called ‘Ernst W. Middendorf’ (a German doctor, anthropologist and traveler who lived for several years in Peru where he carried out diverse studies).
Finally, the park has all the necessary services for a comfortable visit such as: camping area, parking, restrooms, etc.
Entrance fee
These are the prices of the entrance ticket to the park of legends:
- General admission for people over 13 years of age: 15 Peruvian soles.
- Admission for children from 3 to 12 years old: 8 Peruvian soles.
- Ticket for seniors from 60 years and over: 4 Peruvian soles.
- Entry for people with disabilities with Conadis card: free.
Office hours
The park of legends is open from Monday to Sunday (including holidays) from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon.
The best destinations in Perú
Once you decide to visit Palccoyo Mountain, you could add the best destinations to combine the history and experience for your trip to Peru. Peru offers the most beautiful destinations, culture and naturals. we recommend to extend your holidays and choose these best destinations and prepare your itinerary:
- Inca Trail
- Machu Picchu
- Amazon Rainforest Peru
- Cusco
- Lake Titicaca
- Colca Canyon – Arequipa
Best Peru Treks
- Inca Trail 4 days
- Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
- Short Inca Trail
- Short Inca Trail with Camping
