Parque Kennedy (Parque Central de Miraflores)
Miraflores' central square, best known for its resident cats and weekend crafts market.
- Address: Av. Jose Larco & Av. Diagonal, Miraflores
- District: Miraflores
- Category: park and plaza
Parque Kennedy (officially Parque Central de Miraflores) is the social heart of the district: a green square surrounded by cafes, a small artisan and antiques market most evenings, an open-air stage with folk or salsa dancing on some nights, and a resident colony of street cats that locals feed and visitors photograph. It sits right where Miraflores' main pedestrian and shopping street (Av. Jose Larco) meets the park, making it a natural landmark for orienting the rest of the district -- most walking routes to the Malecon, Larcomar or Kennedy's surrounding restaurants start from here.
Highlights
- Nightly artisan and antiques market (best after 5pm)
- Anticucho and picarones street-food carts in and around the park most evenings
- Iglesia Virgen Milagrosa, the church on the park's south side
- The park's well-known resident cats
- Live music or dancing on the open-air stage some evenings
Ideal for
- an easy orientation point on a first walk through Miraflores
- an evening stroll and souvenir shopping
- cat lovers
- trying Lima street food without leaving Miraflores
Practical information
- Hours
- Open 24/7 as a public park; the crafts market runs roughly 5pm-10pm
- Price
- Free; anticucho-cart plates run a few soles each
- Tips
- Come at dusk, when the market stalls open, the anticucho carts set up, and the park's lights and the surrounding restaurant terraces fill in -- the daytime park is pleasant but unremarkable by comparison. For a sit-down meal instead of street food, D'Onofrio, Tarboush and Mamma Lola are all a block or less away.
Frequently asked questions
Is Parque Kennedy free to visit?
Yes, it's a public park open 24/7 at no cost. The only things you'd pay for are food from the street carts or anything you buy at the crafts market.
What time should I visit for the best experience?
Come at dusk, around 5-6pm onward. That's when the artisan and antiques market opens, the anticucho and picarones carts set up, and the park's lights and surrounding restaurant terraces fill in. The daytime park is pleasant but much quieter.
How long do people usually spend here?
Most visitors treat it as a 20-30 minute stop -- enough to see the cats, browse the market stalls, and grab street food -- though it also works as a natural starting or ending point for a longer evening walk through Miraflores.
Why is this park known for cats?
Parque Kennedy has a well-established colony of resident street cats that locals feed and visitors enjoy photographing; they've become one of the park's small trademarks.
What's nearby if I want a sit-down meal instead of street food?
El Parque D'Onofrio, Tarboush and Mamma Lola are all within a few minutes' walk of the park.
Is this a good place to start exploring Miraflores?
Yes -- it sits where Av. Jose Larco meets the park, making it the natural landmark most walking routes to the Malecon and Larcomar start from.