The city of Lima slopes gently from the shores of the Pacific Ocean into valleys and mountain slopes located as high as 500 mASL. Within the city exist isolated hills which are not connected to the surrounding hill chains, such as El Agustino, San Cosme, El Pino, La Milla, Muleria and Pro hills. The San Cristobal hill, which directly faces north of the downtown area, is the local extreme of an Andean hill outgrowth.

Lima is a city transformed in the 20th century by the massive immigration particularly from the high Andes. As a result of this, it has adopted at present a new diverse and multicultural identity in permanent evolution.

Lima's pre-hispanic and colonial architecture are interesting and the city has several museums that tell the story of a country with a long history that produced a large number of coastal and Andean civilizations (such as the Incas, Moche, and Chavin) and other cultures. There are several archeological sites both within and around the city (locally known as "huaca"). The largest archeological complex is located in Pachacamac, about 10 km south of Lima.