PERU TOURIST INFORMATION
|
|
PERU TOURIST INFORMATION |
|
Home > The Northern Coast > Trujillo Tourist Information
Introduction to Trujillo
Trujillo is Peru’s third-largest city, and was also one of the first to be founded by the Spanish. When Pizarro founded the city in 1534, he named it after his hometown in Spain. It is the capital of the La Libertad department, an important sugar cane growing area.
The area around Trujillo was important long before the arrival of the Spanish, and the Moche valley was the origin of the Moche culture, one of the most important in the history of Peru. The Chimú culture emerged when the Moche culture died out, and built Chan Chán, the largest pre-Hispanic city in Peru. Although the Spanish saw the walls of the city when sailing along the coast, Chan Chán had been abandoned before their arrival, as the Incas had transferred the Chimú population to a new city as punishment for their resistance to Inca rule.
The city grew in importance during the colonial period as a result of agriculture, and there are still many fine colonial houses and churches in the city. However, the city also rebelled against Spanish rule, and declared its liberty from the crown before the rest of Peru.
Trujillo remained a centre for resisting central authority, and the city became the centre of the left wing APRA (American Revolutionary Popular Alliance) political movement in the 1920s. The APRA founder and leader, Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre, who was from Trujillo, claimed victory in the elections of 1931, although General Sánchez Cerro won the count. Claiming fraud, APRA supporters in Trujillo rose up in protest against the new government, and went on the rampage, killing many officials. In a brutal crackdown, the government arrested many of these supporters, took them to the ruins of Chan Chán, and executed hundreds of people. Haya de la Torre was imprisoned on the notorious El Frontón island and the APRA party was outlawed.
Despite this political oppression, support for the APRA party remained strong throughout Peru, and especially in Trujillo, and the party finally won a national election and took power in 1985 under the leadership of the eloquent Alán García. Although many Peruvians and international commentators consider much of his presidency to have been a disaster, Alán García, and the APRA party, nearly came to power again in the elections of 2001, following the flight of President Alberto Fujimori.
Trujillo is an elegant, attractive city, and it makes an excellent base for visiting the nearby archaeological sites. Although there is the occasional whiff of fishmeal from the nearby factory at Puerto Salaverry, this is rarely troublesome.
**Historic centre
Trujillo has quite an interesting colonial centre with many churches and mansions. The whole centre used to be walled, and Av. España now marks where the wall used to stand. There is a section of the wall still standing on the northern part of Av. España. The large Plaza de Armas (**) is surrounded by attractive colonial buildings with beautiful wooden balconies. There is an impressive statue of La Libertad (freedom) in the centre of the Plaza. The churches are quite different from some of the more ornate examples in Lima, Arequipa and Cusco, for example, and the facades are rather austere. The most interesting church is the Iglesia del Carmen (**), which has a small gallery of colonial art, the Pinacoteca Carmelita. The church and museum are open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm. There is a $1 entrance fee.
Trujillo has many elegant colonial mansions, including the Casa Banante (Ayacucho 426) and the Casa de Emancipación, which is used for exhibitions.
The Trujillo Museo de Arqueología, Antropología y Historia (**) (Jr. Junín 682, Mon 9.30am-2pm, Tue 9.15am-1pm, 3.30pm-7pm, Sat and Sun 9.30am-4pm, entrance $1.50) is housed in the elegant Casa Risco, a colonial house built in the early 18th century. This charts the development of pre-Hispanic cultures in northern Peru, especially the Moche, Chimú and Inca cultures. There are plenty of ceramics and some good explanations. The museum has a particularly good section on the Huaca de la Luna, with a large-scale model of the Huaca and artefacts found at the site.
The Museo Cassinelli (**) (Basement of Shell Petrol Station, open Mon to Sat 9am-1pm, 3pm-6.30pm, Sun and holidays 10am-12.30pm, 3.30pm-6.30pm, entrance $1.50) has a very interesting collection of ceramics, although it is not really a museum. There are 2,000 pieces on display, piled from floor to ceiling in one room with flickering neon lights. The museum actually has a collection of 8,000 pieces, although there is no space to exhibit most of these. Although there are plans for an ambitious museum, there is a lack of money for the expensive project and it does not look likely that it will be realised. Although the collection that can be seen is badly displayed, there are some very good pieces and it is worth visiting. The lack of information on the pieces is more than compensated by the caretaker of the museum, who will guide you giving thorough explanations, although many of these sound a bit far fetched. The collection includes ceramics from the Chavín, Chimú, Moche, Inca, Virú, Salinas and Cajamarca cultures.
The Museo de Zoología (San Martín 368, daily 7am-7pm, $0.50) has two rooms of stuffed animals.
There are several beaches near Trujillo, the best of which are at Huanchaco and Playa Las Delicias. It is possible to walk on the beach from Huanchaco to Chan Chán, although this is not advised, as muggings are common.
For anyone with even a remote interest in archaeology, the area around Trujillo is unmissable. The famous site of Chan Chán is a must, but even more interesting are the sites of Huaca de la Luna and Huaca El Brujo, where amazing Moche friezes still survive.
Huanchaco is a small town on the coast, about 15 minutes from Trujillo. Many people prefer to stay here rather than in Trujillo, and it is a more relaxed place with a nice beach. The main attraction of the town is watching the fishermen go out to sea on their traditional caballitos de totora. These are reed boats on which the fishermen sit, legs astride, as they paddle through the surf. It is possible to hire a caballito and have a paddle yourself, although this is not easy. The sea is rather cold outside of summer, and may be polluted. It is also possible to surf in Huanchaco. There are a few souvenir stalls near the pier selling model caballitos de totora.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Chan Chán is the main tourist attraction in the Trujillo and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Chan Chán in its entirety consists of nine governor’s palaces and 35 intermediary complexes, in addition to dwellings and temples, such as the Huaca Arco Iris and the Huaca Esmeralda, and it is the largest adobe city in the world. However, the name Chan Chán is generally used to refer to the Tschudi Citadel, which is the best preserved, and most reconstructed, of the various governors’ palaces. The whole city was enormous, covering almost 28 square kilometres, and was home to 35,000 people at its height. There are even theories that the city may have occupied up to 200 square kilometres, and a large Chimú wall is visible on the outskirts of Trujillo. However, when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century Chan Chán was already virtually abandoned. The Chimús strongly resisted conquest by the Incas, and it took over 10 years before the Incas were finally able to defeat them. As punishment for their resistance, the Chimú leaders were taken to Cusco and the population of the city was dispersed, mostly to the city of Chicitoy, built by the Incas.
Chan Chán was the capital of the Chimú Empire and was built between the 9th and 15th centuries. Each governor of Chan Chán built a new complex upon taking charge, and the palace of the previous ruler was left abandoned. Therefore, although there were nine palaces in total by the end, only one at a time was ever occupied. The Tschudi Citadel, one of these palaces, occupies 130,000 square metres and is surrounded by a 13m-high perimeter wall. Entering the citadel, there is a huge open plaza with some friezes decorating the walls. This was used for public ceremonies, possibly including sacrifices. The plaza and friezes have been almost completely reconstructed. Other public sections of the complex include a large administrative centre, which was used for the production of textiles and jewellery, as well as the administration of agriculture and fishing. This includes many impressive friezes, including some fine fishing motifs. This frieze includes some unrestored images, although the wall has been completed with modern restorations. The Chimú people were great fishermen, and it is thought that the fish swimming in opposite directions refer to different sea currents in the area. There are many diamond-shaped decorations in this section, which are thought to represent fishing nets, again demonstrating the importance of the sea in the life of the Chimú people.
Passing the administrative centre, another open plaza is reached. However, this was not a public plaza, and was part of the governor’s residence. Although many people worked in the public sector of the citadel, they all lived in houses outside of the complex. Only the governor and his entourage actually lived inside the palace. The form of architecture changes in the private sector of the citadel, and the friezes and motifs disappear. Indeed, the private plaza has no decorations, unlike the public plaza at the entrance to the complex. There is a giant pool near the plaza, which was probably used to supply water to the complex and possibly to other parts of the city. The pool may also have been used for ceremonial purposes, as the ramp into the pool goes round the walls rather than straight down. There is a burial mound behind the pool, which was used by the ruler people close to him.
The other governors’ palaces are similar in structure, and consist of many of the same aspects. However, they are not very well conserved and they can be dangerous to wander round as muggers often lurk in these ruins.
The Site Museum (***), on the main road between Trujillo and Huanchaco, near the entrance to Chan Chán, is well worth visiting before entering the Tschudi Citadel, and is included on the same ticket. This includes some ceramics and information on the construction techniques employed by the Chimú people. There is also a giant model of the city of Chan Chán, with a sound and light show and an interesting and informative narrated history of the site. This is normally in Spanish, although if you ask they may play it in English.
Chan Chán is open from 9am to 4.30pm and entry is $3. The ticket also includes entry to the site museum, Huaca Arco Iris and Huaca Esmeralda. The ticket is on sale at all the sites apart from Huaca Esmeralda. Guides are available at the entrance to the Tschudi Citadel and cost about $6 for a one-hour tour.
Combis to Huanchaco pass through Chan Chán, and you can walk from the road to the Tschudi Citadel. This is a 2km walk through the remains of other palaces and complexes. It is advisable not to stray off the path, as muggings are not uncommon in the area. The path to the citadel is generally safe, and there are often tourist police, but it is better not to walk alone. Do not walk along the beach from Huanchaco, as muggings are also common there. A taxi to the site costs about $2, or $7 return, including the driver waiting.
The Huaca Arco Iris is a religious temple dating from the early Chimú period around 850-900AD. It was part of the city of Chan Chán, although separate from any of the governors’ palaces. The temple was originally painted bright yellow and it is said that when the Spanish sailed past the coastline they saw its golden walls from the sea. The temple has some beautiful friezes of Chimú gods, with strong links to the Moche culture. Many of these look like dragons, hence the alternate name of the temple. Although many of the friezes have been reconstructed, there are a few which are in their original state.
Entrance to the temple is on the same ticket that includes Chan Chán, the site museum and Huaca Esmeralda. The ticket is on sale at all the sites apart from Huaca Esmeralda, and costs $3.
Huaca Arco Iris can be reached by a taxi, which charges about $1.50. Alternatively, combis to Esperanza, from the Ovalo Mansiche, pass the temple.
This is another temple in the Chan Chán complex dating from about 1300AD. Huaca Esmeralda actually consists of two temples, one built in front of the other, and there are friezes depicting the fisher king. Entrance to the Huaca Esmeralda is on the same ticket that includes Chan Chán, the site museum and Huaca Arco Iris. The ticket is on sale at all the sites apart from Huaca Esmeralda, and costs $3. The site is on the route to Chan Chán, and combis to Huanchaco pass nearby. Ask the driver to drop you off near the temple.
The Moche culture developed around 100BC, and the Moche valley was the main capital of the culture until the 6th century AD, when a severe drought led to famines and the abandonment of the area. In the intervening period, however, the area developed into a magnificent centre, with two important temples. Although the site was used after its abandonment, as indicated by Chimú remains that have been found, its importance was minor. The abandonment of the area coincides with a major societal shift in the Moche culture, which can be seen by changes in architecture. Prior to the drought, the most important buildings in a centre were the religious and ceremonial temples. However, in later centres, administrative buildings and governmental palaces are more important. It is possible that the perceived abandonment by the gods in letting the population suffer led to people loosing faith in the power of these gods.
The Huaca del Sol was the one of the largest single adobe structure ever built, and 142 million mud bricks went into its construction. It measured 360m long by 180m wide, and was over 50m high. Unfortunately, the remains are not in very good condition, partially due to the effects of the weather over the centuries, but mainly due to the efforts of the conquistadors. In their search for gold, the Spaniards diverted the Moche River, washing away the majority of the temple. Today, only 30% of the structure remains. Very little investigation has been done on the Huaca del Sol and there is little to see besides the actual structure.
500m from the Huaca del Sol is the smaller Huaca de la Luna, which measures 96m by 96m, and is 25m high. This consists of a series of platforms with ceremonial complexes at each level. Investigation of the temple indicates that the structure was begun by the Virú culture prior to the Moches, as the adobe bricks at the base of the temple are of a Virú type, although the temple’s importance dates from the Moche period. There were five different phases in the construction of the temple, in which each stage resulted in the old temple being covered by the new construction, increasing its size. It is not known exactly why each new phase was built, although it is speculated that each new governor built over the previous governor’s construction. Alternate theories say that it might have been due to earthquakes damaging the structure.
Although it is hard to imagine now, looking at the dry mud, the whole temple was once painted in vivid colours. It is the remains of some of these paintings that make the Huaca de la Luna a fascinating attraction. The covering of prior phases of construction with new bricks has led to the preservation of many of the paintings that used to decorate the exterior of the temple. Many of these are of Ayapayec, ‘the beheading god’, who was the main Moche deity. The remarkably well-preserved bass reliefs, in vivid reds, yellows and blacks, depict the god, often holding a severed head and ceremonial knife. It is likely that temple was used for sacrifices, and human remains have been discovered at the site.
In between the Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la Luna, remains of dwellings of the Moche people have been found. It is likely that these inhabitants dedicated themselves to the production of ceramics and of chicha, the ceremonially important fermented maize drink.
Entrance to Huaca de la Luna is $1.50, and there is a further charge of $1.50 to see the more recently discovered friezes, which are well worth visiting. In total, it takes approximately 1 hour to visit the Huaca de la Luna. It is well worth hiring a guide to explain the site. Guides can be hired at the site itself, and they charge about $5 for a tour of the complex.
To get to the Huaca de la Luna, combis for Moche leave from the corner of Jr. Suarez and Los Incas in Trujillo. Ask the driver to enter to Huaca de la Luna. The trip costs $0.30. Alternatively, a taxi to and from the site, with the driver waiting an hour or so, will cost $10.
60km north of Trujillo is an important archaeological complex consisting of several huacas, collectively referred to as El Brujo. Various cultures have occupied the area, including the Moche, Lambayeque and Chimú people. The earliest remains in El Brujo, however, significantly predate all of these cultures. Huaca El Prieto (*) is basically a 5,000-year old rubbish dump, with remains from people dating from the pre-ceramic era. There is not much to see, although the remains of some of the oldest dwellings in Peru are visible.
The most interesting attraction at El Brujo is the Huaca Cao (****), a Moche temple dating from 100AD-700AD. This was the most important Moche temple in the Chicama Valley, and consisted of seven superimposed structures, the final one giving a base of almost 100m by 100m. As with Huaca de la Luna, each phase of construction was decorated with fine friezes and bass reliefs painted in vivid colours. Although the temple has only been partially excavated, and work is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, many wonderful friezes can be seen. These all correspond to the 4th phase of construction, and are far more elaborate than those found at Huaca de la Luna. There are scenes of naked prisoners being led by warriors – possibly to their sacrifice. There is also an intricate frieze of various symbols, such as the moon, fish and nets, indicating the importance of the sea in the lives of the Moche people. There are paintings of babies being sacrificed, and of dancers with feet sticking out from the wall, with a real human heel bone used to support the protruding foot. In addition, more recent excavations have revealed paintings of Ayapayec, ‘the beheading god’ also found at Huaca de la Luna. However, this area is currently off-limits to visitors.
The Huaca Cortada (*) is another important Moche temple. Friezes have also been discovered here, although they have been covered to protect them, as there is no money available for investigations. There is little to see.
Because of its remoteness, and the fact that it has only been open to visitors since 2000, El Brujo receives very few visitors. This is a shame, as it is one of the most important, and interesting, of all archaeological sites on the Peruvian coast. Entrance to the site is $1.50.
The nearest town to El Brujo is Magdalena de Cao, where there is a small museum. There are occasional combis direct to Magdalena from Trujillo. These leave from the Terminal Santa Cruz at the corner of Santa Cruz and América. Alternatively, any bus heading north passes through Chocope, from where there are regular combis to Magdalena. It is 5km from Magdalena to El Brujo, which can be walked, or a mototaxi can be hired to take you to the site. Some agencies in Trujillo organise tours to El Brujo, although these are expensive, charging about $40 per person. Better is to hire a taxi to take you, which will cost approximately $40 in total. Jorge Piscoya, who can be contacted in the Tourist Police office on Jr. Independencia, is knowledgeable about the site and will also include sites in the Chicitoy Valley, for a full-day tour for about $40 for up to 4 people, including transport.
There are many archaeological sites around Trujillo. However, there are fewer sites that have been excavated and present much of interest for the tourist. Sites such as Virú or Huaca Los Reyes, although important archaeologically, are fairly uninteresting for travellers. More interesting is the Chicitoy Valley, which is home to over 100 Moche temples, most of which are in a rather poor state of conservation. The Huaca de Campanilla (*), near the town of Chicitoy, dates from the late Moche period and is one of the better-preserved huacas. It is also known as the Huaca de Ventanas due to the holes made by Spaniards looking for treasure. Although the Chicitoy Valley is now arid, there are plans to bring water from other valleys to permit agriculture. This would simply be repeating an act of the Moches, who irrigated the whole valley by using canals that brought water from the Moche Valley. Remains of the canals can be seen near the Huaca de Campanilla.
The most interesting site in the Chicitoy Valley is Chicitoy Viejo (**). This dates from the Chimú-Inca period, and was the city to which the population of Chan Chán was transferred after the Inca conquest. The ruins are in quite a poor state of conservation, although plazas, depots and residences can be made out. There are clear signs of the influence of the Incas in the architecture, such as the trapezoidal windows and the lack of an administrative centre.
Chicitoy Viejo and the Chicitoy Valley are difficult to reach by public transport, and a guide with private transport is really necessary to visit the sites. However, the area is close to the route to El Brujo, and if visiting that site with private transport, it is straightforward to also visit the Chicitoy Valley. Also on the route to El Brujo is the site of Mocollope, which was originally a Moche ceremonial centre before being used by the Chimú people as an administrative centre. There is little to see, however.
Information used with the kind permission of
www.llamatravel.com -
holidays to Peru from £799. ©
Llama Travel Ltd (UK).
Web Site © Peru Tourist Information (Peru)