“Someone had pulled a guitar out at The Secret Garden Hostel's garden bar by nine, playing half-remembered covers while a small crowd gathered around the outdoor seating. By the third song, a traveler from Chile had taken over on a borrowed set of maracas found behind the bar, and what started as background noise turned into the evening's main event.”
Quinoa Backpackers Hostel sits on Calle José Díaz in Jesús María with a sun terrace, garden, bar and shared kitchen. Private check-in, a 24-hour front desk and walking tours round out a property built for a social first-time stay in Lima.
Hostel Prada sits on Gonzáles Prada in Miraflores, 1.8 kilometers from Larcomar and a 12-minute walk from Huaca Pucllana. Family rooms with air-conditioning and free WiFi come with a bar, coffee shop and concierge service, and evenings alternate between live music and movie nights.
1900 Backpacker's Hostel occupies an early-20th-century building with marble floors on Avenida Garcilaso de la Vega in Lima's historic center, five kilometers from the beach. Dormitories have private lockers, and a games room with a billiards table anchors the evenings.
The Secret Garden Hostel sits in Miraflores, a 19-minute walk from Larcomar, with a sun terrace, garden, bar and free WiFi in public areas. Rooms include sofa beds, work desks and streaming services, and a concierge covers private check-in and check-out.
Do not expect a booked concert, live music at hostels like Quinoa Backpackers or The Secret Garden is informal and depends on who happens to be staying that night.
Try the salsa lessons at 1900 Backpacker's Hostel if you want a structured evening rather than a spontaneous garden jam.
Head to Barranco's own bar strip after a quiet hostel evening if you want a proper booked band rather than an informal session.
Ask at Hostel Prada whether it is a live-music or movie night before booking, the two alternate rather than running together.
