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Plaza San Martín opened on July 28, 1921, the 100th anniversary of Peru’s independence. It’s located within Lima’s UNESCO World Heritage listed historic city center.
The plaza was once home to the San Juan de Dios hospital, which was torn down in 1850, and a railway station torn down between 1911 and 1918. It’s now surrounded by several beautiful white buildings built between 1914 and 1945.
Buildings of note are the National Club (Club Nacional), Colón Theatre (Cine Teatro Colón), and Gran Hotel Bolívar.
Monument
In the center of the plaza is a monument to the Argentinian liberator of Perú, José de San Martín. The statue of the Motherland (Madre Patria) underneath wears a crown with a llama. It was supposed to be a crown of flames, which is also “llama” in Spanish, but the artist, Mariano Benlliure, made an obvious mistake.
Getting There
The nearest Metropolitano station to the plaza is Colmena Station (Estación Colmena), two blocks to the east. Plaza Mayor is a five block walk north. The Promenade of the Naval Heroes is a few blocks south.
