Trujillo
The department of La Libertad features a varied relief, starting from the coast line, passing though the highlands (Andes) of Otuzco, Julcan, and Santiago de Chuco, and ending in the upper jungle (The Amazon Rain Forest) at the border of the Department of San Martin. The coast enjoys beaches and fertile valleys that are very important to the national agricultural production.
Trujillo, the capital of the department, is known as the city of eternal spring because of its blessed climate and festive atmosphere. The area was inhabited by two important, ancient Peruvian civilizations, the Mochica and the Chimú, and later, it became an important vice royal city. Among its uncountable archeological attractions, there is Chan Chan, the largest mud city in the Americas and ancient capital for the Chimú. UNESCO placed it on the World Cultural Heritage List in 1986.
There, you can see the remarkable huacas (pre-Incan sacred places) built by the Mochicas like the Huaca of the Sun and of the Moon, which measure more than twenty meters. Also, the El Brujo complex, decorated with inspiring figures of dancers and warriors. The city also has a splendid Colonial architecture where you will want to see the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Church of the Company of Jesus Christ, the monastery of El Carmen, and the many Colonial houses.
The Huanchaco beach resort is only fifteen minutes away from the city. It is famous for the caballitos de totora, which are lightweight boats made of totora reeds that have been used to cut through the ocean since the time of the Mochicas and Chimús. There, you can enjoy exquisite seafood or simply bask in the glory of a day at the beach
Atractions
Belen ChurchIntersection of Calle Almagro and Calle Ayacucho
Its construction began in 1680 and ended in 1708. It was built with adobe, brick, and quincha (anti-seismic construction material). The entrance of the facade is marked by two towers with triangular pilasters. In the interior, the arches, pilasters, and pillars correspond to seventeenth century Trujillo tradition.
Cathedral of TrujilloMain square. Telephone: (044) 23-5083 (Cathedral Museum). Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 7:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Built in 1666, it stores precious works of art, specifically paintings of the Cusco School as well as sculptures.
Citadel of Chan Chan5 km / 3 miles northeast of Trujillo, in the Moche Valley (10 minutes by car). Telephone: (044) 20-6304 (Site Museum). Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
This pre-Hispanic urban center represents the largest mud city in pre-Hispanic America. In 1986, it was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Chan Chan might have been the capital of the Chimu kingdom, originally including over twenty square kilometers, from the nearby Port of Huanchaco to the Campana Hill. Archeologists estimate that it lodged over a hundred thousand people. Plazas, houses, warehouses, workshops, streets, walls, and pyramidal temples are clearly defined in its structure. Its enormous walls are profusely decorated with reliefs of geometric figures, zoomorphic stylizations, and mythological creatures. The journey through the archeological site is complemented with a visit of the Site Museum.
Emancipation HouseJr. Pizarro 610. Visiting hours: Mon – Sat.9:15 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.
In this place, also known as “De Madalengoitia”, the Marquis of Torre Tagle prepared the Trujillo declaration of independence in 1820. It was the site of the First Constituent Congress and later, the house from where President Riva Agüero ruled. This house is also called Civic Sanctuary of Trujillo. It also houses exhibitions.
Ganoza Chopitea HouseJiron Independencia 630. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri.9:15 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. and 2:30 P.M. - 6:30 P.M.
For many specialists, this is the most representative house of Trujillo architectural style. The Baroque entrance uses many shades of color, and the Rococo front with the two lions (for which it is also known as the House of the Lion Facade) draws your eye. Complementing the style of the house are the Mannerist walls, Imperial windows, and the Neo-baroque balcony.
Huaca del Sol y La Luna8 km / 5 miles south of the city of Trujillo (15 minutes by car). Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun.9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Huaca del Sol functioned as the political-administrative center, and Huaca de la Luna as the ceremonial center. The urban zone is located between the two and is composed of houses, large avenues, alleys, corridors, and squares. These components confirm the high level of political, religious, economic, and social organization of the Moches.
Huaca de la Luna is made up of temples superimposed according to the different periods of the Mochica power. In some walls, beautiful polychromatic murals can be seen, whose clearly defined figures represent the god Ai-apaec. In the temple, archeologists have discovered a tomb with more than forty sacrificed warriors. For the time being the tourist visit only includes Huaca de la Luna.
Huaca Dragon4 km / 3 miles from the city of Trujillo (10 minutes by car)
This adobe pyramid is especially important since its construction was done at the beginning of the Chimu culture and at the end of the Tiahuanuco-Wari culture between the tenth and eleventh centuries A.D. Its estimated age is 1100 years. The building has a square base and walls decorated with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations in high relief. The name of the Dragon cames from one of these figures, a two-headed creature with uncountable feet, similar to a dragon.
Huaca Esmeralda3 km / 2 miles from the city of Trujillo, in the El Cortijo Production Co-op (8 minute by car)
This archeological site is associated to the Chimu culture and was built linked to Chan Chan. The building has a rectangular base (65 meters / 213 feet long and 41 meters / 135 feet wide) and two platforms with central ramps. The adobe walls are decorated with zoomorphic and geometric motifs in high relief.
Huanchaco Beach Resort13 km / 8 miles northwest of Trujillo (15 minutes by car)
According to the legend, 800 years ago Prince Tacaynamo and his court disembarked in Huanchaco and founded the first Chimu dynasty. The traditional rafts called the "caballitos de totora" (little horses of totora reeds), used by the fishermen in the north coast of Peru since pre-Columbian times, still navigate these water. It is one of the most popular beaches along the coast of Peru for surfers.
Iturregui PalaceJiron Pizarro 668. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 11:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Constructed in the nineteenth century, it is an example of Neo-classical civil architecture. The columns, the window bars, and the Italian marble statues catch the eyes. Today it is the headquarters of Club Central.
Main Square Following the orders of Diego de Almagro, Martin de Astete drew up this square as the center of the city. In the central part of the main square, you can see the monument of La Libertad, a Baroque marble sculpture, work of the German, Edmund Müller.
Mariscal de Orbegozo HouseJiron Orbegoso 553. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 9:30 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.
This residence preserves the traditional Vice-royal character marked by stone floors, worked doors, and halls distributed in an elevated terrace. In its rooms, important collections of furniture, silver, canvases, and mirrors are exhibited. Likewise, temporary expositions are arranged.
Mayorazgo de Facala HouseJiron Pizarro 314. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri.9:15 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
It has a large main patio and an ancient well. From the outside, you can view its corner Mudejar style balcony. In this house, a valuable money collection is kept.
San Francisco ChurchIntersection of Jiron Independencia and Jiron Gamarra. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
This Baroque church was built in the eighteenth century. The main altar, the polychromatic altarpieces, and the pulpit are its most important features. You can see figures of the Holy Scriptures and passages of the lives of some saints in the ornamentations. Today, the Colon Theatre is located on what used to be the convent.
Urquiaga HouseJr. Pizarro 446. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri.9:30 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.; Sat. – Sun. 10:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. It is the site of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru. It is a neo-classical house and has been converted into a museum where gold ornaments of the Chimu culture, the desk of Liberator Simon Bolivar, and furniture belonging to the Vice-royal and Republican epochs are displayed.
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