Trujillo, also known as the eternal spring, is one of the cities in Peru that are in second place for foreign tourism.
Trujillo is located 9 hours by car from Lima and although it can be reached by plane with a flight of just over 1 hour, Trujillo has been left behind in the list of essential places to visit in Peru. It's worth a visit? Well, that is what you will discover throughout this article, where I explain what to see and do in Trujillo, practical advice on transport and accommodation.
HOW TO GET TO TRUJILLO, PERU
You can arrive by car, bus or plane. If you want to include it in your first trip to Peru, I recommend that you do it by plane from Lima. And thus avoid hours of car. But if you have already traveled to Peru on other occasions, you can reserve a few days to travel the coast from Lima to Trujillo (making a stop in between in the town of Chimbote).
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN TRUJILLO, PERU
The city of Trujillo is tiny, its colorful streets are what attracts the most attention and what I liked the most. Everything is quite close and it is better if you go to the main square and from there stroll through the historic center.
If you want you can take a guided tour of the city for less than 13 euros
Trujillo Cathedral
The Cathedral of Trujillo, located in the historic center, is a rather bright yellow tone, which, unlike what you might think, instead of making it ugly, makes it more beautiful and unique. Its construction began in 1647 and ended in 1666. It is in the Churrigueresque Baroque style in yellow with white details.
The Recreation Square
This square is the heart of the city together with the Plaza de Armas, the locals come here every day after school and work, to share laughter, games and gossip.
In the center there is a fountain and garden areas, in the same square, on one of the sides is the old gate that gave access to the city of Trujillo. It is a red and white door that does not go unnoticed.
The Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas, one of the most beautiful places to see in Trujillo
This is where the freedom monument, the cathedral, the Archbishopric of Trujillo, the "Muñoz y Cañete" House and the seat of the city government are located.
It is the most beautiful area of Trujillo without a doubt! Its buildings are spectacular, all in very good condition and full of colours.
Iturregui Palace
If you have time you can visit this Palace, although on the outside it may not attract much attention (if we compare it with many of the buildings in the city). It is a building built in 1842 and neoclassical style.
It is in perfect condition, and will give you an idea of what the colonial lifestyle was like. Its owner, Juan Manuel Iturregui, was famous for his important role in history, he was a character of the time who fought for independence.
The House of Emancipation
This house is another example of the colonial presence in Trujillo. You can make a visit to discover the local poet César Vallejo. There is a room dedicated to the archives of the writer's life and another reserved for temporary exhibitions.
The Urquiaga House
Casa Urquiaga or Casa Calonge is a neoclassical house located in Trujillo. Currently this house is the headquarters of the Central Bank of Peru and an area of the house is open to the public as a museum house.
Of the house, the neoclassical wooden gate, its Doric columns and wrought iron windows stand out, which give the house a precious air.
Inside you will find 3 patios with columns and small areas with plants and flowers. Throughout the tour you will be able to see pre-Inca, colonial and republican objects. Among the exhibited collection, there are also Chimús ornaments, mahogany furniture, ceramics donated by Simón Bolívar.
Walk and know more places in Trujillo;
The good thing about Trujillo is that everything is close by, so you can reach all the remarkable places in the city by walking, you will find small streets with low houses attached to each other full of colors, small restaurants...
Do not forget to get to know these places, even if you do not have time to visit them inside, all of them are very unique in their architecture and appearance; Monastery of Carmen, Cathedral Museum, San Agustín Church, Mansiche Church, La Merced Church, Mariscal de Orbegoso Mansion, Santa Ana Church, Santa Clara Convent.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN TRUJILLO
Trujillo is very rich in Inca, pre-Inca and colonial history. Here are several archaeological sites that you should know:
The Huaca del Sol and the Huaca Luna
The Huacas del Sol y de la Luna are an archaeological complex, considered a Moche sanctuary. This archaeological site physically represented the capital of the Mochica culture from the 1st century BC. C. until the 9th century AD. C. Here there are numerous mud and adobe buildings.
In Huaca del Sol there are huge walls, full of paintings, with religious and guerrilla motifs.
Although you can go on your own, you will have to take a taxi as it is located on the outskirts of the city. And then pay admission here.
There is a tour that includes La Huaca del Sol, Huaca Luna and the museum, plus you have round-trip transportation, and a local guide.
Huacas del Brujo
El Brujo is one of the most important and ancient archaeological complexes and is made up of the Huaca Prieta, the Huaca Cao Viejo and the Huaca Cortada.
If you are interested you can do an organized tour:
Chan Chan Site Museum
The Chan Chan archaeological zone was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986. Likewise, it was also included in the List of World Heritage in Danger at the end of the same year. This archaeological museum houses around 15,000 archaeological pieces of ceramics, lithic and metal pieces, textiles and bone remains.
Dragon's Huaca
The Huaca del Dragón is a great religious monument, ceremonial and administrative center built in adobe, whose murals are decorated with friezes in relief showing anthropomorphic figures and representing the rainbow in different forms.
This Huaca is beautiful and is one of the best preserved in Trujillo. Do not miss it!
This Huaca is close to Chan Chan and if you go by yourself you can do the tour. In both places you will not be more than 45 minutes.
Emerald Huaca
This Huaca is very close to the city center and you can get there on foot or in a taxi for a few soles.
The Huaca La Esmeralda is an archaeological construction that belongs to the Chimú Culture. It is estimated that its construction in adobe was carried out during the first stage of development of the Chimú culture.
The temple is a pyramid-type rectangular construction made up of two platforms that measure approx. 65m by 41m which are ascended through two central ramps.
This huaca is very large, so going through it will take you between 1 hour and 1 hour and a half.
NEARBY PLACES TO SEE IN TRUJILLO, PERU
If you decide to spend more days in Trujillo you can disconnect and go to Laguna Conache. This beautiful lagoon is located between dunes and areas of vegetation. In these dunes, various activities are carried out with sledding, snowboards and mats.
Visit Chimbote
The city of Chimbote is located 2 hours from Trujillo. As we did the tour of the coast from Lima to Trujillo, we dedicated a day to Chumbote to enjoy the beach. It has a beautiful beach, and it was a necessary stop after many days touring the country without stopping.
If you are thinking of traveling to Trujillo (I recommend arriving by plane from Lima) you can dedicate a day to Chimbote. Get up early, rent a car or take the bus and in two hours you will be in the city. In the historic center you can walk through its streets, visit the cathedral and have breakfast here. It is not a city with many things to visit, so after filling your belly head to one of its beaches.
We chose the beach of Caleta Colorada, because in the photos it already seemed beautiful to us. We enjoyed a day at the beach, with hardly any people and with calm water. As the cove is located in the Bay of Samanco, there is no tide, the water looks like a mirror.
In the Bay of Samanco there are several beach options, and right next to it is the Bay of Chimbote, where there are more options. All of them are beautiful and perfect to disconnect for a couple of days on your trip to Peru!
WHERE TO STAY IN TRUJILLO, PERU
In Trujillo you have quite cheap accommodation options, you can find 3-star hotels for 24 euros for a double room with breakfast. Up to a 5-star hotel for about 60 euros a night in a double room with breakfast.
We chose the hotel: Costa del Sol Trujillo Centro 5 stars. For about 60 euros double room with breakfast. It is located right in the historic center. Also with a pool. With the heat it was great!
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Peru a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!