Circuito Mágico del Agua

The Circuito Mágico del Agua, or Magic Water Circuit, is one of Lima's most popular evening outings for families and an easy way to see a different side of the city. It occupies the Parque de la Reserva in Santa Beatriz, a park built between 1926 and 1929 under President Augusto B. Leguía and named in honour of the reservist troops who defended Lima during the War of the Pacific. The fountain circuit opened in the park on 26 July 2007.

There are 13 fountains, all controlled by computer, and the complex holds a Guinness World Record as the largest fountain complex in a public park. The Fuente Mágica is the tallest, sending a jet of water more than 80 metres into the air. The Fuente de la Fantasía, about 120 metres long, is the stage for the main show, in which images and lasers are projected onto curtains of water in time with music. Children tend to head straight for the Túnel de las Sorpresas, a tunnel of water about 35 metres long, so a change of clothes for young ones is a sensible precaution.

The show at the Fuente de la Fantasía relies on projected images and lasers, so the circuit is an evening outing: plan to arrive around dusk. Opening days and show times can change, so check the current schedule before you go.

It suits families, couples and anyone with an evening free. Allow about an hour and a half to walk the full circuit and see the show.

The Parque de la Reserva itself is a piece of Lima history, laid out between 1926 and 1929 on the orders of President Leguía and named after the reservists of the War of the Pacific. The fountain circuit is associated with Emilima, a company of the Municipality of Lima, and a butterfly house in the park was opened with the Municipality of Lima. It is in Santa Beatriz, in the Lima district, and most visitors arrive by taxi. A visit can be combined with a late-afternoon visit to MALI and the Parque de la Exposición, a short ride north, before returning south for dinner.