If you come from the United States or Europe, you’re probably going to feel a bit overwhelmed if you try driving in Lima, Peru. In Lima, defensive driving can be slightly useful, however, you need to lean more towards aggression to get anywhere.
I have driven in Lima, Peru and I will tell you that this is by far the most difficult place to drive that I have ever driven in during my travels. As nerve-wracking as it can be, I feel proud to have been able to maneuver my way around the city and get into the mind of the Limeno driver.
The Ways of The Road
Taxis and buses are your two main enemies here and so are combis (more on these later…). Taxis will cut you off, drive of sidewalks, yell at you, throw things at your car, and possibly much worse. I know of a verbal insult that makes them shut up, but I won’t repeat it here (ask the locals, especially if you speak Spanish like I do.).
The buses will use their size to their advantage and will appear to be attempting to push you off the road, but it’s a bluff most of the time. They are pretty aggressive, but I found the drivers to be a little less confrontational verbally. They are pretty quick to back down if you start insulting them in Spanish.
What is a Combi?
So you probably want to know what a combi is, yes? A combi is usually a type of minibus. Sometimes they are vans or modified SUVs as well, but most of the time, it is a type of minibus. You always have two men inside of it, one man is the driver and the other stands by the side door and tries to usher in as many people as he can as they drive chaotically throughout the city on their reign of destruction.
The combis are more dangerous drivers than the taxis and city bus drivers. They WILL hit your car with their vehicle without remorse. They will laugh about it if they do so, and good luck getting them to pay for anything if they hit your car.
The Brilliance of Roundabouts
At some point in time, someone thought it would be great idea to install roundabouts in Lima. Do you know how traffic is supposed to behave in a roundabout? The outside traffic yields to the inside traffic, everyone drives in one direction, and they leave once they reach their desired exit, right? WRONG – in Lima, Peru.
In Lima, if you enter a roundabout, you will find that traffic goes every way it can go on a compass. No one waits for inside traffic to pass, everyone just enters the mayhem and they will gladly cut you off or block you from exiting, even if they are not going in the same direction as you.
I found the best way to maneuver the roundabouts in Lima to be to enter as fast as you can and then slowly edge your way through the crowd until you reach your exit. Should you reach your exit, someone will likely try to block you since no one should be allowed to ever leave the roundabout. Don’t worry, honk, roll down that window and curse back at them in Spanish and they will usually chicken-out. Okay, that’s probably a bad suggestion for most people, but it’s what I did.
Once you leave the roundabout, you will return to the normal traffic of Lima, which isn’t really much better, but it generally goes in less directions and has some organization to it. My favorite roundabout in Lima is pretty far inland and is near a mall. Can any of my readers guess which one it is?
Dirty Candy and Card Tricks
Another thing you will see are Andean families having their children try to sell you things, mostly candy or snacks. DON’T EAT THESE, just wave your hand and say “nah”; they will usually go away and leave you alone. Why “nah” and not “no”? Because the locals seem to say that. If you say “no” with a gringo-accent, they will press you for money. If nothing else, give them a couple of soles and they will happily leave you alone in most cases. Don’t roll your window down much, as they will sometimes try to rob you too.
Roadside robberies are actually quite common in Lima. When there are heavy traffic jams, people will sometimes rob cars in the heavy traffic because many times, there is nothing the drivers can do. You are generally safe from this in nice areas like Mira Flores or San Isidro, just be aware that it does happen. Keep your cell phone and other valuables hidden if you are going to be driving around Lima.
Another thing they often do is dance in front of your car. Just tell them no as well. Some locals tell me they will damage your car or attack you if you try to not buy anything or pay them for whatever they think they did for you. I have not had this happen, but just be aware if you end up driving in Lima.
I once had a guy come up to my car and do card tricks while I waited at a red light. I knew he was going to want money so I immediately told him no. He persisted to do card tricks in front of my car until I laid on the horn. Sometimes people just can’t handle rejection.
Conclusion
Driving in Lima, Peru can be fun and scary at the same time, depending how you look at it. I found it to be an entertaining experience aside from a few moments. I don’t recommend it for most people, despite that. So try at your own risk! (I recommend you call for a taxi or an Uber instead so you can enjoy your trip.)
