Trujillo.- is a welcoming, colonial city. One of the economic and cultural centers of northern Peru, it is the capital of the marinera dance and the land of the Peruvian Paso horse. It was the seat of the Chimú culture (12th to 15th centuries AD).
Where is Trujillo located?
Location: North of Lima
Capital: City of Trujillo
Distance: 560 km from Lima
Altitude: 34 meters above sea level
Population: 1,539,774 inhabitants
Climate: The city of Trujillo is characterized by its arid and semi-warm climate, with an average maximum temperature of 22.7°C (72.9°F) and a minimum of 15.8°C (60.4°F), with virtually no rainfall throughout the year.
How do I get to Trujillo?
By Land: Lima-Trujillo: 560 km via the Pan-American Highway North (approx. 8 hours by car).
By Air: Regular flights from Lima to Trujillo (approx. 45 minutes).
Carlos Martínez de Pinillos Airport. Huanchaco Highway, no number.
What activities can you do?
Trujillo’s Main Square (Plaza Mayor)
By order of Diego de Almagro, Martín de Astete laid out this square as the city center. In the main part of the Plaza Mayor stands the Monument to Liberty, a Baroque marble sculpture by the German artist Edmund Müller.
Chan Chan Citadel
Approx. 5 km away. Northwest of the city of Trujillo, in the Moche Valley (approximately 10 minutes by car). This pre-Hispanic urban center represents the largest mud-brick city in pre-Hispanic America. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Chan Chan is believed to have been the capital of the Chimú kingdom, originally encompassing more than 20 km² from the vicinity of the port of Huanchaco to Cerro Campana. Its structure includes plazas, dwellings, storage facilities, workshops, streets, walls, and pyramidal temples. Its enormous walls are profusely decorated with reliefs of geometric figures, zoomorphic stylizations, and mythological beings.
Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna
Approximately 8 km south of the city of Trujillo (approximately 15 minutes by car). The Huaca del Sol functioned as the political and administrative center, and the Huaca de la Luna as the ceremonial center. Between them lies the urban area composed of dwellings, large avenues, Alleyways, corridors, and plazas. These components confirm the high level of political, religious, economic, and social organization of the Moche. The Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) is composed of superimposed temples according to different stages of Moche power. On some walls, beautiful polychrome murals can be seen, whose clearly defined figures represent the god Ai-apaec. The tourist visit currently includes the Huaca de la Luna.
Huaca del Dragón (Dragon or Rainbow)
Approximately 4 km from the city of Trujillo (approximately 10 minutes by car). This adobe pyramid is especially important because its construction took place at the beginning of the Chimú culture and at the end of the Tiahuanaco-Wari culture between the 10th and 11th centuries AD. It is estimated to be 1,100 years old. The structure has a quadrangular base and walls decorated with high reliefs featuring zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations. The name “Dragon” comes from one of these figures, a two-headed being with… Countless legs, resembling a dragon, its function is believed to be linked to rituals honoring the rainbow and other natural phenomena related to fertility.
Huanchaco Beach
Approximately 13 km northwest of the city of Trujillo (approximately 15 minutes by car).
According to legend, 800 years ago, Prince Tacaynamo and his entourage landed in Huanchaco, founding the first Chimú dynasty. “Caballitos de totora,” traditional reed boats used by fishermen on the northern coast of Peru since pre-Columbian times, still sail its waters. It is one of the favorite beaches on the Peruvian coast for surfers.
Where to Sleep?
There is accommodation for all budgets, from US$12 per person per night to US$20 to US$40 per couple per night in more central locations. Generally, all accommodations are located in the same town. These are indicative prices and do not apply to peak seasons.