Kennedy Park

Welcome to the centre of Miraflores. This triangular park is actually two: Parque 7 de Junio and John F. Kennedy Park, some 22,000 square metres that limeños simply call “el Kennedy”.

1A district that remembers a war

Miraflores was once a village of orchards outside Lima. On 15 January 1881, during the War of the Pacific, the Battle of Miraflores was fought here, the capital's last line of defence before the Chilean army marched in. The name Parque 7 de Junio recalls another episode of that war: the Peruvian defenders who died at the Morro de Arica in 1880.

In the 20th century Miraflores became a residential district and later the most touristy part of the city. The park was completely redesigned in 1990.

2The cats of Kennedy Park

The park's most famous residents have four legs. According to the most common version, there was a mouse problem in the 1990s and someone began bringing in cats. They stayed, multiplied and are now part of the scenery. Local volunteers look after them and encourage adoptions.

At weekends, in the small Chabuca Granda amphitheatre, you'll often see older couples dancing Creole waltzes and marineras.

3What to look for

• The Virgen Milagrosa parish church, from 1939, with stained glass showing the life of Jesus.
• The painters displaying their work in the open air.
• The cats: look under the bushes and on the benches.