Full disclosure: Lia is a cat person, Jeremy is a dog person. But we’re both animal lovers, regardless of preference. So, when we discovered that Lima is home to a cat park, we immediately added it to our Peru bucket list! If you’re as obsessed with animals as we are, you have to visit Parque Kennedy in Miraflores, Lima.
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Visiting Lima and discovering Parque Kennedy in Miraflores
Parque Kennedy, also known as Parque Central, is situated slap bang in the middle of the Miraflores district in Lima, Peru. We spent over 2 weeks in the city and after doing a self-guided walking tour and overindulging in some of the best coffee we’ve ever had, we have to admit that visiting Parque Kennedy in Miraflores was one of the highlights of our time in Lima.
The Parque Kennedy cats looking out over their property. The park is theirs, after all. We’re just visiting.
Why we loved Parque Kennedy in Lima
Since we can’t have our own pets thanks to the evil San Francisco housing market (oh, and plus the whole taking a year off to travel thing, I guess) we like to vicariously adopt every animal that we meet as our own.
We’re like crazy cat people with everyone ELSE’S cats. So, when we heard that Parque Kennedy is filled with cats – and not stray cats, but well taken care of, groomed, fed, and happy cats – we were stoked to check it out and befriend ALL of the kitties.
It did not disappoint. The Parque Kennedy cats are a must-see for any cat lover visiting Lima in Peru!
First impressions of Parque Kennedy
We were extremely impressed. Parque Kennedy is incredibly well taken care of – and I don’t just mean the cats.
There are beautiful plots of flowers, the grass is neatly trimmed, the walkways are swept and clean, and there are bowls of cat food and water at the base of every tree. You know, what all parks REALLY need. Street vendors sell delicious local food and there’s a festive atmosphere with people dancing and singing throughout the park.
Oh, and there are cats. So many cats! It felt like an Easter egg hunt trying to spot them all.
Making a cat friend at Parque Kennedy in Miraflores! The cats are friendly and many of them love to make new friends.
Parque Kennedy Cats
There are fluffy Siamese cats. Old ginger cats. Feisty cats. Shy cats. Cats that love attention. Cats that just want to stretch out in the sun and nap. There is every variety of cat.
The cats are spaced out throughout the park and have plenty of fenced-off areas to roam in, so they can get alone time when they need it (which I totally get, as a person who is also kind of a cat).
The cats at Parque Kennedy are taken care of by anonymous guardian angels, who keep them spayed and neutered, take them to the vet as needed, and keep the park clean of any undesirable odors. It’s an arrangement that’s been going on for at least 20 years, but nobody’s really sure how it started. It reminds us of the mysterious flock of parrots in Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, but somehow nobody’s made a documentary about it yet.
Two of the fluffiest Parque Kennedy cats!
Can you play with the cats at Parque Kennedy in Miraflores, Lima?
We felt like Willa Wonka when he first walks into the chocolate factory: all around us were THE BEST THINGS and we wanted to touch them all, but we weren’t sure we were allowed to (this park is, after all, the property of the Parque Kennedy cats).
So, although I desperately wanted to hold these kitties, I was reluctant to. I mean, this one time I went to a cat cafe in Oakland and the poor over-stimulated kitties lashed out at me. Literally – I got a claw through the hand just from walking too close to them. It’s the cat equivalent of turning into a giant blueberry and rolling away: the reward isn’t worth the risk.
Luckily, some of the cats at Parque Kennedy were as eager to make new friends as we were and introduced themselves right away. We saw kitties happily snuggling onto the laps of excited visitors, enjoying belly scratches, and purring adorably while rubbing against the legs of whomever they pleased.
We were overjoyed. At last, a public place in which we could consensually indulge our wildest cat lady fantasies without judgment or fear! … I didn’t realize how that sounded until after I wrote it. Please don’t judge me.
We are obsessed with the cats at Parque Kennedy
After about an hour of running around the park, chasing after cats while screaming “LOVE ME! LOVE MEEEEE!” we reluctantly tore ourselves away. We can’t wait to go back again! And bring toys. and catnip. And a cage…. We kid (sort of.)
In summary, Parque Kennedy in Lima is like heaven for cat lovers. And I bet it’s a lot like hell if you hate cats or are allergic to them, so, obviously, don’t go.
But if you love cats like us, Parque Kennedy is a must visit spot right in the heart of Miraflores, in Lima, Peru!
Practical Information about Parque Kennedy in Miraflores
- Cost: Free.
- What to expect: 1 hour of exploring the park, playing with cats and enjoying the beauty that lies within Miraflores.
- Hours: Parque Kennedy is open 24 hours.
- How to get to Parque Kennedy: Parque Kennedy is approximately 11 miles from Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. To get to the park, you’ll need to make way to the Miraflores district. Take a walk around the area as it’s a beautiful and vibrant part of Lima.
Psst: We’ve got a ton of other resources for Peru that you’ll want to look at before your trip!
- The Ultimate Self-Guided Free Walking Tour: Lima, Peru
- The 5 Most Instragrammable Places in Peru
- The Best Specialty & Third Wave Coffee Shops in Lima, Peru
- Lima Cooking Class: Making Ceviche & Pisco Sours in Lima, Peru
- 13 Things to Know Before You Go to Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru
- 40 Things Nobody Tells You About Backpacking in Peru
- Hiking Laguna 69 in Huaraz, Peru: Everything You Need to Know
- La Balsa Border Crossing: from Ecuador to Peru
Have you ever visited a cat park? It it something you want to do? Leave us a comment below!
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![[FLASHBACK] Copenhagen, 2016: 4 months into our year-long honeymoon. #ad Reeling from the disastrous end of our adventures in South America, we graciously accepted tickets home for Thanksgiving. We missed our families. We were exhausted. And we were, for some reason, FIENDING for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We needed a break, but we fully intended to return to South America and pick up where we left off.
.
Instead, we booked a cheap flight to Copenhagen. (Because there is always a cheap flight to Copenhagen, from either coast.)
.
2 weeks after leaving summery Santiago, Chile we disembarked into the cold 3PM twilight of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christmas Market season had just begun, and the city was decked in holiday cheer and Hygge. We slipped and slid down icy cobblestone streets with steaming mugs of gluhwein clutched in our gloved hands (logistics spoilers: we stocked up on cold-weather gear on Black Friday. Hayyy!).
.
Over the next week, we fell head over heels in love with Copenhagen, with its castles, its canals, its tiny mermaid statue, its Theme Park in the center of the city (the 2nd oldest in the world!), its ridiculously good coffee, its fancy open-faced sandwiches (smørbrød is the OG avo toast, don't @ me), its somewhat random self-governed anarchist commune, even the hordes of Danes on bikes whizzing past us. The culture shock revived our waning excitement for long-term travel, and we've had a deep love for Copenhagen ever since.
.
Although we haven't had a chance to return (except for a few connections through the airport, which is always a treat because it is the BEST airport), we're forever eyeing flights to Copenhagen, waiting for the right time to come back. And now that we've got a copy of the @MoonGuides Copenhagen & Beyond book, we've got everything we need to plan our next trip! The guide includes a detailed local's guide to Copenhagen, plus several chapters on day trips from Copenhagen, including our favorite: the fairytale castle that served as the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
.
Is Copenhagen on your bucket list? (Ahem: IT SHOULD BE) If not, tell us about a trip that was exactly what you needed in the comments below. #travelwithmoon](http://scontent-lax3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c0.112.900.900a/s640x640/74351742_593890494681783_595532788178232489_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=103&oh=ef94d872ca21b56c65af0db2bdb7d448&oe=5E6C4537 "[FLASHBACK] Copenhagen, 2016: 4 months into our year-long honeymoon. #ad Reeling from the disastrous end of our adventures in South America, we graciously accepted tickets home for Thanksgiving. We missed our families. We were exhausted. And we were, for some reason, FIENDING for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We needed a break, but we fully intended to return to South America and pick up where we left off.
.
Instead, we booked a cheap flight to Copenhagen. (Because there is always a cheap flight to Copenhagen, from either coast.)
.
2 weeks after leaving summery Santiago, Chile we disembarked into the cold 3PM twilight of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christmas Market season had just begun, and the city was decked in holiday cheer and Hygge. We slipped and slid down icy cobblestone streets with steaming mugs of gluhwein clutched in our gloved hands (logistics spoilers: we stocked up on cold-weather gear on Black Friday. Hayyy!).
.
Over the next week, we fell head over heels in love with Copenhagen, with its castles, its canals, its tiny mermaid statue, its Theme Park in the center of the city (the 2nd oldest in the world!), its ridiculously good coffee, its fancy open-faced sandwiches (smørbrød is the OG avo toast, don't @ me), its somewhat random self-governed anarchist commune, even the hordes of Danes on bikes whizzing past us. The culture shock revived our waning excitement for long-term travel, and we've had a deep love for Copenhagen ever since.
.
Although we haven't had a chance to return (except for a few connections through the airport, which is always a treat because it is the BEST airport), we're forever eyeing flights to Copenhagen, waiting for the right time to come back. And now that we've got a copy of the @MoonGuides Copenhagen & Beyond book, we've got everything we need to plan our next trip! The guide includes a detailed local's guide to Copenhagen, plus several chapters on day trips from Copenhagen, including our favorite: the fairytale castle that served as the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
.
Is Copenhagen on your bucket list? (Ahem: IT SHOULD BE) If not, tell us about a trip that was exactly what you needed in the comments below. #travelwithmoon")
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