Walking Tours

Lima Barranco Self-Guided Audio Walk: Bridge of Sighs, Murals and Pacific Cliff Views

Loop through Barranco, Lima's clifftop seaside district, from the town square to a viewpoint over the Pacific.
See a grand 1912 summer villa, an English promenade on the cliff, the murals of the Bajada de Baños and the Bridge of Sighs.
Discover a resort built to reach the sea, with water pumps, a lost funicular and a town that came back after 1881.
Cross the wooden Bridge of Sighs holding your breath, as Barranco's tradition says, then finish above the Pacific.
11 stops over 1.8 km, about 65 minutes, with English and Spanish audio you start whenever you like.

Self-guided audio tour, English and Spanish
Route length 1.8 km, about 80 minutes
Stops at hat museum, poet's mansion, great stair
GPS map and walking directions provided
Lifetime access to tour content

Museum and monument tickets, all optional extras
Food and drinks
Tips or gratuities

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Cuenca's old town ends at a cliff, the barranco, with the river Tomebamba at its foot. This walk reads that edge from top to bottom, from the old ford to Inca ground.
Start at the Cruz del Vado, where the old road climbed up from the river, and follow Calle Larga along the top of the cliff: a street named for a French scientist who came to measure the Earth, the Panama hat museum, and a poet's house with a new face in brick. Then go down the great stair to the river, walk the bank where the flood of 1950 swept away bridge after bridge in a night, and stand under the Puente Roto, the half bridge it left. Climb to the Todos Santos mills and end at Pumapungo, the Puma Gate.
Ten stops, about 1.8 km and 80 minutes, in English or Spanish, at your own pace. Mostly downhill, with two stairways. Museum entry is not included; Pumapungo is free and closed on Mondays.

What to bring

Ticket code: Enter the ticket code from your confirmation on the Roamer redemption page before you set off, while you have signal.

Charged phone: Bring a fully charged phone, as the tour runs in your phone browser.

Earphones: Bring earphones so you can listen to the audio comfortably during the walk.

Connectivity: Use mobile data if possible, or open the tour on Wi-Fi before you start if you have no data.

Water: Carry water, as Cuenca is about 2,500 m above sea level and the route includes stairs.

Accessibility

Step-free access: The route is not step-free, with the Escalinata and 19 steps with a handrail near the Puente Roto plaza.

Stair-free alternative: If you need to avoid stairs, stay on Calle Larga and descend the Bajada de Todos Santos to reach stop 9.

Wheelchair lift: A wheelchair lift was installed on the Escalinata in 2024, but its operation is not guaranteed on any given day.

Terrain and traffic: The Bajada de Todos Santos and Bajada de los Molinos have fast downhill traffic, so you must keep to the pavements and cross with care.

Pavements: Pavements on Calle Larga can be narrow and side-street crossings are busy, so you should use traffic lights where available.

Altitude and exertion: Cuenca's altitude and the stairs mean you should take the climb slowly if you have any mobility concerns.

Additional information

Tour format: This is a self-guided audio tour with no live guide, so you set your own pace and pauses.

Start time: There is no fixed start time, so you can begin the tour whenever you arrive.

Tour access: The tour opens in your phone browser through Roamer, so you do not need to download an app.

Best days and hours: For open museums, walk from Tuesday to Saturday from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

Monday closures: Pumapungo is closed on Mondays, so plan your visit on another day if you want to go inside.

Sunday hours: On Sundays, the hat museum closes at 15:00 and Pumapungo closes at 16:00.

Daylight advice: Walk the route in daylight, as the riverside path and Puente Roto plaza become empty after dark.

Meeting point: Reach the start at Cruz del Vado at Calle La Condamine and Bajada del Vado by taxi or a 10 to 15 minute walk from Parque Calderon.

Tram note: The tram does not run past the tour route, so you should not rely on it to reach the start.

End point: The walk ends at Pumapungo at Calle Larga and Avenida Huayna Capac, where you can find taxis and buses.

Museum del Sombrero: The hat museum at stop 3 has set opening hours from Monday to Sunday that you should check before visiting.

Museo Remigio Crespo: The museum at stop 5 is free and open daily, including holidays, within specified daytime hours.

CIDAP location: CIDAP sits by the riverside at the foot of the Escalinata and is free with weekday and Saturday hours.

Pumapungo visit time: Allow at least one hour to explore Museo Pumapungo and its Inca terraces during their daytime opening hours.

Todos Santos museum: The Museo Manuel Agustin Landivar has only partially opened in recent years, so you should not count on entering.

Works and detours: Local works may close stairs or lanes, so you must follow any posted diversion signs along the route.