World Traveler

The northern desert coast of Peru is our final destination on our armchair-style Latin American vacation. The north coast is a dramatic stretch of spectacular beaches, blue ocean, jagged cliffs, and seemingly endless sand dunes. Beautiful fertile valleys follow the many rivers that flow from the Andes to the ocean, creating a striking and recurring juxtaposition between the stark desert and lush greenery as you drive up the Pan-American Highway. The coastline is also dotted with innumerable ruins and archaeological sites, including the well-known remains of Chan Chan and Huacas del Sol y de la Luna.

Barranca
The small city of Barranca, located about 200km north of the capital city, is worth a stay. Barranca is full of friendly locals, great cafes, and is a short hop away from several great sights. The journey on the Panamericana north to Barranca is not nearly as pleasant as the city itself, however. The highway often skirts dangerously along towering ocean cliffs, and taxis and busses race along the highway chaotically at all hours of the day and night.

The ancient temple of Paramonga is easily accessed via taxi or local bus, and is a great example of Chimu and Inca architecture. The temple is quite large, and visitors are allowed to walk around and in the entire multi-story construction. Local festivals like Inti Raymi are often held in the field below the site, and are particularly dramatic with such a historic backdrop. Caral is another impressive (and somewhat controversial) monument to visit. The road to Caral is very rough, and a taxi ride there can be expensive and lengthy. We recommend taking a local tour from Lima if possible. Caral is billed as evidence of the oldest civilization in all of South America. The site itself is very large, and hols several complexes, temples, altars, and amphitheaters. Many of the pyramids and temples have been reconstructed, and it’s thrilling to walk up the stairs of such an ancient structure.

Hotel Chavin is the best (and one of the only) hotels in town. The restaurant inside has good local food and great pisco sours, and the cafe downstairs has great espresso and ice cream. The rooms are comfortable, even if a big retro. Our favorite place to eat outside of the hotel is Las Gaviotas, a small cafe on the beach. Las Gaviotas has fantastic traditional and local food, and an up-close view of the cliffs and ocean.

Casma
This small town is interesting only for the nearby archaeological sites of Sechin and Chanquillo. Busses travel to Casma from Barranca several times a day. Sechin is one of Peru’s most well-known archaeological sites. The walls of the main temple have incredibly graphic and strange carvings of warriors and their enemies fighting and dying. There are several rather realistic depictions of headless bodies and unfortunate captives. Be sure to check out the tiny on-site museum and the fantastic half-carved unfinished stones in the main stand of trees. The fortress of Chanquillo is lesser-known and even less visited than Sechin, but is well worth the journey and the hike up the large hill. The fortress consists of several towers and a confusing maze of concentric walls mean to keep intruders out. The mysterious towers in the dunes below the site are even more captivating–expers speculate the towers may have been used for astrological record-keeping.

Hotel Los Poncianos is the most pleasant, and safest, place to stay in Casma. It’s 1950’s atmosphere well-preserved, the hotel has a huge swimming pool and comfortable rooms. There’s also a make-shift ‘zoo’ that is a bit creepy. The owners speaks great english and is a helpful host.

Trujillo
The city of Trujillo, a historic political hotbed, has a great atmosphere and fun attractions. The city still has a distinctive colonial feel, and the Plaza de Armas is a good place to view several historic mansions and churches. The cathedral on the square has a great deal of colonial-era art, the nearby Iglesia de la Compania is interesting, and the Hotel Libertador is housed in a fantastic old mansion.

Although there are several museums in town, the Museo Cassinelli is one of the few with worthwhile exhibits. The museum is an impressive private archaeololgical collection, and has hundreds of well preserved artifacts and ceramics. Real Hotel is a fun place to stay the night; the rooms are open and inviting, and the staff and overall atmosphere is bright and happy. If you’re looking for more high-end accomodations, however, try the Hotel Libertador. The hotel has a bar, coffee shop, beautiful rooms, good views from most of the rooms, and a nice sauna. Restaurant Romano is one of the oldest places to dine in town, and is popular with both visitors and locals.

Chan Chan is the main attraction for travelers in Trujillo. The largest pre-colombian city in the Americas, Chan Chan once held over 50,000 residents and a large stash of gold, silver, and art. Although much of it’s former glory has been destroyed by the elements and looters, the complex is fascinating and makes for a great tour. Also near Trujillo, the Temples of the Sun and the Moon are incredibly large ancient structures that are fantastic to visit.

barranca
casma
sechin
trujillo
chanquillo
peru