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Discover the best things to do in Trujillo Peru

Home / Travel Blog / Discover the best things to do in Trujillo Peru
Discover the best things to do in Trujillo Peru

There is hardly a country that has so many different, fabulous habitats and so much culture and history for the individual traveler or backpacker as Peru: The mountains, the highlands, the coast, the desert, the rainforest, and the Amazon. Buildings and ruins of the Incas, the Spanish, and of pre-Columbian cultures of South America before the Incas, such as the Moche and the Chimu.

Trujillo is Peru's third largest city (after Lima and Arequipa) with nearly 1 million inhabitants in the metropolitan region and is the capital of the La Libertad region and the province of the same name. Several districts such as El Porvenir or Huanchaco are part of the metropolitan region. Getting there is best done individually and is quite easy by bus (about 8 hours) or plane (about 1 hour) from Lima.

 

Trujillo is an exciting fusion of a colonial old town, monumental pre-Columbian relics, buildings, and events from Peru's struggle for independence, and modernity: In the district of Huanchaco near El Tablazo, the smart city (in Spanish: ciudad inteligente, together with IBM also marketed as a sustainable city) is an urban ecologically and economically ultramodern model settlement for the 21st century, a unique project in Peru.

 

In addition to being known as the capital of the marinera and land of the Peruvian Paso Horse, thanks to its spectacular climate, it is a beautiful city full of tourist places from unimaginable archaeological complexes to beautiful beaches, it was also the site of two important Mochica and Chimú cultures. And not to mention its tasty cuisine.

 

Its historic center, founded in 1534, houses a Baroque marble sculpture called La Libertad in its Plaza Mayor. On one side is the Trujillo Cathedral, built in 1666, which has works of art such as canvases from the Cusco school and a museum with objects linked to the liturgy. Following the route of the religious buildings, you cannot miss the Belén Church (1680 – 1708), made of adobe, brick, and thatch; the El Carmen Monastery (1759), made up of a temple, a convent, and an art gallery; as well as the San Francisco and La Merced churches, both of baroque style.

 

Among its mansions, the Casa Ganoza Chopitea stands out, considered the most representative of Trujillo due to its baroque façade of various colors; and the House of Emancipation, from where President Riva Agüero governed. You will find part of its history in Casa Calonge, where gold pieces from the Chimú culture are exhibited; and in the Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History of the National University of Trujillo, which has innumerable remains of different pre-Hispanic cultures that developed in the region.

 

Main Square

It is the epicenter of the historical and monumental center of the city founded in 1534 by the conqueror Diego de Almagro. In its perimeter are the Cathedral and the Municipal Palace of Trujillo. On December 29, 1820, it was the scene of the proclamation of independence by José Bernardo de Torre Tagle, following the disposition of the liberator José de San Martín.

 

On July 4, 1929, the Monument to Freedom was inaugurated in the central part of this square, a Baroque-style sculpture made of marble, the work of the German artist Edmund Müller.

 

On this occasion, the Plaza de Armas will be the scene of the Marian Encounter, where the 40 images venerated by the parishioners from the northern regions of the country will be present.

Huacas of the Sun and the Moon

 

They constitute an archaeological complex of adobe located five kilometers south of Trujillo, in the Moche district, and physically represented the capital of the Mochica culture from the 1st century BC. until the 9th century AD.

 

The Huaca del Sol is a stepped pyramid-shaped building about 43 meters high. It has 5 large terraces, the largest of which is 80 meters long, with a base of 228 long by 136 wide and 18 meters high. It is crowned by a 23-meter-high pyramid that has a quadrangular base of 103 meters on each side. This building was the administrative political center of this culture and housing for the high Moche society.

 

Half a kilometer from the Huaca del Sol is the Huaca de la Luna, a construction that stands out for having temples that were superimposed and built in different periods. It has a square base of 87 meters on each side and a height of 21 meters. On its upper platform stood a series of rooms decorated with human figures.

 

Trujillo's infrastructure for travelers

For travelers, there is a good selection of accommodations, enough restaurants, and in a pretty pedestrian zone, and the adjacent old town stores for almost everything else.

 

The infrastructure for travelers and backpackers is very good: accommodation in all price ranges. Pubs, bars, and restaurants in nice selection. Sights and activities are plentiful. Between hiking and surfing, the agencies and tour providers in the streets around the Cathedral offer many options. Laundromats, pharmacies, and a true pedestrian mall with many stores make it a great base for travelers between and from Ecuador, or the Pacific coast, the Andes, and the Amazon lowlands.

 

The city is a cultural and historical hotspot in northern Peru and has some significant sights to offer the visitor. In addition, in the area of the Peruvian namesake (there is still the original Trujillo in Spain, the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro) there are two very sensational excavation sites of two pre-Inca cultures, one of which is a veritable UNESCO World Heritage Site: These are the very impressive buildings of the culture of the Moche (Huacas de la Luna y del Sol) and the Chimu: Chan Chan.

 

Those interested in contemporary art and artists of modern Peru will find their highlight in the Museo de Arte Moderno.

 

Huanchaco

 

It is the most important spa in the city of Trujillo and the scene of the massive mass that Pope Francis will officiate. On the beach you can see the caballitos de totora, ancient boats from the Mochica and Chimú cultures that are used to this day for fishing and that owe their name to their original design and the vegetable fiber with which they are made. Thanks to its great waves, Huanchaco is one of the favorite beaches for surfboard lovers.

Eemancipation house

 

In this property, located in the jirón Francisco Pizarro 610, José Bernardo de Torre Tagle prepared the declaration of the independence of Trujillo. It was also the seat of the First Constituent Congress and later the government house of President José de la Riva Agüero.

What to Do In Trujillo Peru

 

It is also known as the Civic Sanctuary of Trujillo and exhibitions are held there. In the interior rooms, the original of the Royal Certificate is currently exhibited, signed in Valladolid by the Spanish emperor Carlos V, on December 7, 1537, which grants the coat of arms to the city of Trujillo.

 

Chan Chan

 

Chan Chan is the largest pre-Inca cultural site in the Americas. It is also the largest historical city built of adobe bricks on the planet. And therefore since 1986 UNESCO World Heritage Site. And one of the most spectacular sights in Peru's north.

Things to Do In Trujillo

 

The Chimu people built Chan Chan as the most important city of the Chimu Empire, around 850, and it was their capital until the Inca conquest in 1470. Chan Chan is therefore one of the most important sites in northern Peru and a real tourist highlight.

The Trujillo area is a very dusty, gray-sandy, stony desert. I imagine the surface of the moon to be similar to this. It is hard to believe that this desert is home to two pre-Inca cultures.

 

It has hardly rained here for centuries, which is why the Chimu city, built of adobe bricks, has survived for so long. Recently, favored by global climate change, it rains more than it used to, which has led to the roofing of the excavation sites to protect the adobe structures from decay.

 

Trips to the excavation complex of El Brujo, located about 60km north of Trujillo in the department of La Libertad, are also offered as a day trip. This urbanization, also dating from the Moche culture, is located in the Chicama Valley and offers several large temple complexes. The highlight of this site is a female mummy, the so-called Dama de Cao, excavated there in 2006.

 

Carmen Monastery

 

Built in 1759, it is one of the best architectural ensembles in the city. It is made up of a temple and a convent with two cloisters. The art gallery houses an important collection of approximately 150 canvases, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries.

 

Particularly noteworthy are canvases from the Quito and Flemish schools. It is located at the intersection of Colón and Bolívar streets.

 

House of the Marshal of Orbegoso

 

This mansion preserves the traditional colonial character, marked by cobbled floors, doors with carved images and rooms arranged on a high embankment.

 

In its rooms important collections of furniture, silverware, canvases and mirrors are exhibited. Temporary exhibitions are also presented. It is located at jirón Orbegoso 553.

 

Best Tours in Peru

Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.

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