I adore olives and Peru has a most succulent crop of the fruit. To tell you the truth though, I never knew exactly where olives came from. Could have been a plant or a vine, I wouldn’t have known it was a tree until I took a walk in Olive Park. 
Located in a ritzy area of the San Isidro financial district there is an oasis which holds a grove of gorgeous olive trees.
The trees have a story. In 1560 they were brought over by ship from Spain, only three survived the voyage. They thrived in Lima and in their heyday the grove boasted over 3,000 trees. Today there are just over 1,000 and the once colonial plantation is a much smaller city park. Walking around the neighborhood you may see a few of the old trees incorporated into residential yards, a tale of what once was. The old trees hold an interesting tale and are revered as a National Monument, but their elegant twisting beauty is reason enough to visit the park.
If you can read Spanish, this sign may say something important or even inspirational. Either way that is one thick slice of a tree.
The olives are still harvested today. Beside the olive trees, the park has a really great colorful koi pond.
There is some nice city wildlife to see here, turtles, and plenty of birds flying from the trees to the lake.
Really this park is daily life in Lima. It is not filled with tourists, but locals lounging on the grass, riding their bikes, or painting a picture – and it’s a lovely one.