“El Lazarillo de ciegos caminantes” is one of the most important works of the Peruvian eighteenth century. This article examines the author’s critical perspective ––in his geographical and political journey through the viceroyalty–– in whose ideological position, called here “enlightened colonialism,” colonialist ideas meld with those of the peninsula’s Enlightenment. The analysis of two central points clarifies this phenomenon: the interest in correcting the evils of the viceregal public administration and the search for a productive way to exploit natural resources.