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Peru Vacations - Is It Worth Visiting Trujillo?

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America

If you’ve decided to take a Peru vacation, deciding where to visit can be tricky. Peru is a diverse country with three distinct regions; the coastal desert, the Andes mountain and the Amazon Rainforest. Within these regions there is an incredible variety of things to do, whatever your interests.

Most people visit the south of Peru, heading towards the popular destinations of Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon among others. There is however an amazing variety of attractions awaiting the visitor in the north of Peru, including Trujillo. This article will help you decide if you’d like to include a visit to Trujillo in your Peru vacation.

What is Trujillo?
Trujillo is one of the largest cities in Peru, located on the north coast. The city has a colonial centre and a variety of pre-Inca sites close by. As well as having a wide range of attractions, the city also acts as a jumping off point for other destinations in the north. Trujillo is normally arrived at via a flight of around one hour from Lima.

Who visits Trujillo?
There is something for everyone! Archaeological enthusiasts can spend time exploring pre-Inca sites such as Chan Chan, the largest pre-Colombian earth-built city in Latin America and the Temples to the Sun and Moon. The Moche culture was particularly dominant in the region, and there are many remnants of their civilization.

Adventure enthusiasts will find a coastline full of world-class surfing waves. This includes the famous beach of Huanchaco where fisherman surf in on reed canoes. Those interested in modern Peruvian culture may like to see the graceful dance of the Marinera, one of Peru’s most loved traditions. Photographers will wear out their shutter wandering around the colonial houses in the old quarter of the city.

How much time do I need to visit Trujillo?
It’s possible to spend a few days in Trujillo in order to see everything, so it is best to think about what you’d most like to do on your Peru vacation. Once you’ve figured that out you can pass a few days getting to know the city and take single or multi-day trips to the other sites nearby that the north has to offer.

What else can you combine with Trujillo on a Peru vacation?
A few hours north by bus is the city of Chiclayo, home to the Lord of Sipan. The amazing collection of artifacts which came from the ancient tomb of the Lord of Sipan are displayed in a fantastic museum and constitute over 2000 individual pieces formed in solid gold which are considered one of the best archaeological finds on the continent. There is also the adobe city of Tucume and further north and inland is Chachapoyas and the nearby fortress of Kuelap. The colonial city of Cajamarca can also be combined with a visit to Trujillo and the north. Visitors should allow two weeks to complete a full itinerary of the north.

Surfers can also catch the longest wave in the world at Chicama, where nearby at the tomb of El Brujo visitors can see the first matriarchal figure uncovered by archaeologists in the region, challenging preconceptions about the roles of women in ancient Moche society.

Gary Sargent is the Managing Director of the Cusco-based Tour Companies Escaped to Latin America and Escaped to Peru which offer custom vacation packages and tours from Mexico to Patagonia. The team at Escaped To Latin America has over 15 years experience in all things Latino. If you would like to recieve our Free Monthly Newsletter please CLICK HERE!