BARRANCO

'Barranco' is a district in Lima, Peru. The current mayor is Felipe Antonio Mezarina Tong and the district's postal code is '04'.



It is considered to be the city's most important romantic and bohemian district. It used to be a fashionable beach resort for the old Liman aristocracy. Many people used to spend the summer here and in neighboring Chorrillos.
The name ''Barranco'' (Spanish for ''ravine'') is descriptive of its topography, featuring homes and restaurants in and around a ravine near a cliff overlooking a small sand strip (now flanked by a highway, Costa Verde Ave.) which runs from Miraflores District to Chorrillos.
There is a beautiful walkway to the sea that runs through Barranco, called the ''Bajada de los Baños''. Crossing over this walkway is the ''Puente de los Suspiros'', or Bridge of Sighs. The walkway is bordered on both sides by grand houses, and the legend goes that a daughter of one of these grand houses fell in love with a lowly street sweeper. Her father forbid the union, and she lived out her days as a spinster, waiting at her window for glimpse of her beloved. Those who walked across the bridge could hear her plaintive sighs. On the far side of the bridge is a park with a statue of Barranco's famous singer and composer, Chabuca Granda.
Barranco has houses in the style of the Republican era, flower-filled parks and streets, and appealing beachfront areas. This district includes numerous restaurants. Many nightclubs are also located in Barranco, including discos, bars and ''peñas'', where one can appreciate Peruvian music shows. On Pedro de Osma Ave., some tracks from the former streetcar (originally a railroad between Chorrillos/La Herradura and Downtown Lima) can be seen.
Barranco has a rather drier climate than the other districts, which have a more humid climate.