Things to do in  Trujillo

The ancient city of Chan Chan, in Peru’s Moche Valley, was once the largest city in the Americas. For nearly 600 years, this metropolis of adobe buildings was the seat of the Chimú Kingdom (1000–1471 AD) and home to around 60,000 people. Today, the ruins constitute one of the world’s most important archaeological sites.

Across the arid Moche Valley, the two Temples de Moche (Huacas de Moche) are Trujillo’s most important sites remaining of the once powerful Moche Empire. Though still quite imposing, the twin pyramids are weathered and rounded by time and heavy rains and were built around 500 AD, a while seven centuries before the nearby city of Chan Chan.

Huanchaco, a sleepy coastal suburb of bustling Trujillo, is known for its long slow waves and is one of the best surf spots along the Peruvian coastline to learn how to ride a wave. Stroll along the town’s oceanfront promenade, watching fisherman come in with their catch on traditional reed boats called caballitos de totora.

Trujillo’s Plaza de Armas is where modern Peru began. The city was founded—and the square created—in 1534 when Spanish conquistadors pushed through the continent in search of silver and gold. In 1820, nearly 300 years later, Trujillo's Plaza de Armas was where Peru announced its independence from Spain.

El Brujo Archaeological Complex offers a fascinating look at Peru’s pre-Inca Moche culture. More than 2,000 years ago, the Moche people ruled over a sprawling empire along the coast in the Chicama Valley. Archeologists are only now beginning to unearth the secrets of their civilization.

Temple of the Dragon (Huaco el Dragon) is an immaculately preserved Chimú temple just outside Trujillo. The pyramid-shaped adobe structure features intricate frieze murals depicting rainbows, dragons, and figures that have valiantly stood the test of time. Less known than other Chimú sites, this anti-seismic temple is an engineering marvel.

The arid shoreline of northern Peru has been the historic site of thousands of years of civilizations. Empire in Trujillo has risen and fallen like the sand dunes along the coast. Essential cultural artifacts and artistic relics are still being discovered in this unique coastal desert, many of which are on display at the National University of Trujillo Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History.

Located along Trujillo's central Plaza de Armas, this striking royal blue colonial mansion offers a rare glimpse into the political history of the city. Magnificently restored, its courtyards and rooms are furnished in the ornate style original to the early 17th-century, with a small collection of gold and ceramics from the Chimu and Moche empires.

Located in the heart of Trujillo’s historic center, this cathedral (aka the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary), brightly painted yellow with white wedding-cake piping and twin bell towers, is a stalwart representation of the city’s colonial past. Highlights are its noteworthy altarpieces and religious paintings in the cathedral’s art museum.

Stretched out over an entire block, the lovely El Carmen complex includes a church, a Carmelite convent and a museum that includes the most important collection of colonial art in Trujillo. Its white facade, punctuated with bright red trim is a colonial masterpiece, a fitting home for the baroque and rococo paintings inside.

The focal point of the small port town of Salaverry on Peru’s north coast, Playa Salaverry boasts unique black sands and water ideal for wave-jumping. Consistent swell makes it an ideal place to try surfing for the first time or hone your skills, while the hill behind it is a popular place to go sandboarding at sunset.