Bridge of Sighs

You've reached Lima's most romantic corner. Beneath you runs the Bajada de Baños, the old ravine down which fishermen, and later holidaymakers, walked to the beach. Across it stretches this wooden bridge.

1A bridge with many lives

The bridge opened on 14 February 1876 to link the two sides of the ravine. A few years later, in January 1881, the Chilean troops occupying Barranco destroyed it. It has been rebuilt and restored several times; the last major restoration was completed in December 2014.

Its name comes from a popular tradition that made it a meeting place for lovers. In 1960 the composer Chabuca Granda, author of “La flor de la canela”, dedicated the waltz “El puente de los suspiros” to it. A sculpture of her stands nearby.

2La Ermita

On the far side of the bridge you can see La Ermita, the old church of the Holy Cross. According to tradition, it was built where the fishermen found the glowing cross that saved them in the fog. It suffered the fire of 1881 and the earthquake of 1940, and today it's more a beloved silhouette than a working church.

Tradition says that if you cross the bridge for the first time holding your breath and make a wish, it will come true. Nobody has proved it, but almost everyone gives it a try.

3What to look for

• The wooden structure, with its X-shaped railings.
• The façade of La Ermita, on the far side.
• The Bajada de Baños, which you can follow down to the sea.