April vs February

Strong option

The garúa begins — skies greying, but temperatures still comfortable and prices dropping.

• ↑April represents the last month of meaningful sunshine (5 hours daily) before the garúa establishes itself fully. The temperature is comfortable — 23°C — and the cooler weather is in many ways more pleasant for walking and sightseeing than February's heat. The Lima historic centre (Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, the Monastery of San Francisco with its 17th-century catacombs) and the Larco Museum (the finest collection of pre-Columbian Peruvian art in the world, including the famous erotic pottery collection) are all far less crowded in April than in summer.
• ↑Hotel prices drop meaningfully in April — Miraflores boutique hotels that cost USD 180 in January operate at USD 130–150 in April, and the accommodation supply loosens up significantly. April is a good value month for those whose priority is cultural tourism rather than beach weather.

Best match

The warmest month of the year — peak ceviche season, and Lima's best beach weather.

• ↑February is Lima's warmest month — 27°C average highs with the most sunshine of any month (7.8 hours daily) and the Pacific warming enough for genuine beach comfort. The combination of warm air, warm sea (22–23°C), and the southward tilt of the sun creates conditions that the rest of the year cannot replicate. The Miraflores beach clubs — La Rosa Náutica restaurant on its famous pier, the beach terrace at the Park Hotel — are operating at full capacity.
• ↑Carnival (Carnaval) falls in February or early March, and while Lima's version is more restrained than Barranquilla or Rio, the Barranco neighbourhood celebrates with particular enthusiasm — water balloon battles in the streets (a Peruvian carnival tradition called "mojadas"), street music, and the general festive irreverence that defines the southern Bohemian quarter at its most characterful. Carnival Sunday and Monday are neighbourhood events worth timing an itinerary around.