Trujillo, Peru

Northern Peru's "City of Eternal Spring," with the World Heritage adobe city of Chan Chan, the Temple of the Moon and reed-boat surfing at Huanchaco.

Trujillo, capital of the La Libertad Region in northern Peru and the country's third-largest city, was founded by the Spanish in 1534 and is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" for its mild, dry climate. It's the starting point for exploring the ancient civilizations of Peru's north coast: the Moche (c. AD 100–800) and the Chimú Kingdom (c. 850–1470) left a wealth of adobe ruins in these desert valleys, while the city itself preserves brightly colored colonial streets and is the home of the marinera, Peru's national dance.

Sightseeing falls into three parts. First, the historic center: centered on the Plaza de Armas, ringed by yellow, blue and pink buildings, it's a walk past the cathedral, Casa Urquiaga, Casa de la Emancipación, Palacio Iturregui, the Carmen Monastery and the Jirón Pizarro pedestrian street. Second, the archaeological sites: the World Heritage site of Chan Chan on the western outskirts (a combined ticket covers the site museum, the Huaca Arco Iris (Dragon Temple) and the Huaca Esmeralda) and the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna with the Huacas de Moche Museum to the southeast, each needing half a day. Third, the coast: at Huanchaco you can see the "caballitos de totora" reed boats, go surfing and eat ceviche. For day trips, head about 60 km north to El Brujo to see the mummy of the Lady of Cao, and surfers can continue to Puerto Chicama, home of the world's longest left-hand wave.

Rain is rare year-round; Dec–Mar is hotter with warmer seas, while Jun–Sep is cool and misty. The Marinera Festival takes place in late January, and the Spring Festival parade of floats is held in Sep–Oct. Getting there: fly from Lima (about 1 hour) or take an overnight bus (about 9 hours). Safety in the city is only fair, so take taxis or join tours between sites. Plan on 2–3 days; many visitors stay in Huanchaco.

Top sights

• Chan Chan (Nik An Palace) – The largest mud-brick city in the world and capital of the Chimú kingdom. The open Palacio Nik An is full of walls covered with reliefs of…
• Huacas del Sol y de la Luna – Two giant mud-brick pyramids of the Moche civilisation. The polychrome reliefs inside the Huaca de la Luna are remarkably well preserved.
• Huanchaco – A surf town and fishing village where fishermen still head out to sea on reed boats called 'little horses', a thousand-year-old tradition…
• Chan Chan Site Museum – A site museum introducing the urban planning, irrigation and crafts of the Chimú kingdom. It is a good place to start before visiting the a…
• Museo Huacas de Moche – A modern museum beside the Temples of the Sun and Moon, displaying pottery, murals and ritual objects excavated from the Temple of the Moon.
• Plaza de Armas de Trujillo – A central square surrounded by yellow, blue and pink colonial buildings, with a large Freedom Monument at its center.
• Trujillo Cathedral – A yellow colonial-era cathedral beside the Plaza de Armas, with a Baroque altarpiece inside and a museum of religious art.
• Huaca del Dragón (Huaca Arco Iris) – A well-preserved adobe temple on the northern outskirts, its high walls covered with rainbow arches and double-headed serpent reliefs. It i…
• Huaca Esmeralda – A Chimú stepped temple between the city and Chan Chan, with fishing-net, fish and seabird reliefs still visible on its walls.
• El Brujo Archaeological Complex (Lady of Cao) – A Moche temple complex where the mummy of the tattooed female ruler known as the “Lady of Cao” was unearthed. The Cao Museum on site displa…
• Puerto Chicama (Malabrigo) – A surfing mecca with the world’s longest left-hand wave. On big-wave days, a single ride can carry on for about two kilometers.
• Casa de la Emancipación – A colonial mansion where Trujillo declared independence in 1820. It is now a free cultural center with murals and exhibitions.
• Palacio Iturregui – A nineteenth-century neoclassical mansion with golden-yellow walls, finely wrought-iron window grilles and a colonnaded courtyard.
• Casa Urquiaga – A colonial mansion on the Plaza de Armas where Bolívar once stayed, containing pre-Inca pottery and colonial furnishings.
• Casa Ganoza Chopitea – A representative colonial building in Trujillo, with a Baroque painted lintel and wooden balconies. It is known as the House of Lions.
• Monasterio El Carmen – A seventeenth-century Carmelite convent, hailed as Trujillo’s most beautiful colonial church, housing colonial paintings.
• Jirón Pizarro – The main pedestrian street of the historic center, lined with colorful colonial mansions and cafés, leading to a small plaza at its end.
• Museum of Archaeology, National University of Trujillo – A university museum housed in a colonial mansion, systematically presenting archaeological artifacts from the north coast from ancient time…

Where to eat

• Big Ben Seafood (Huanchaco) – A longtime ceviche specialist at the north end of Huanchaco Beach, with a third-floor terrace overlooking the Pacific…
• Romano Rincón Criollo – A local lunch institution opened in 1995 with a menu of nearly 300 dishes, famous for its generous portions of ceviche…
• El Celler de Cler – On the second floor of a historic colonial house near Plaza de Armas, enjoy warm beef tenderloin ceviche and grilled me…
• Mococho – A small restaurant in a walled garden in Huanchaco that serves ceviche and steamed whole fish made only with the day's…

Itineraries

• Northern Peru Ancient Civilizations & Kuélap – A northern loop from coastal adobe cities to cloud forest fortresses, then over the mountains to Cajamarca