Amazon Adventures

Peru

Trujillo and Chiclayo

An area of great and diverse interest: elegant Spanish cities like Trujillo and former Indian settlements transformed into quaint towns like Cajamarca, Chiclayo and Piura. Monumental ruins of highly-skilled pre-Inca cultures; CHAN CHAN, KUELAP and a region poised for major tourist development; SIPAN, BATAN GRANDE, HUACA EL BRUJO AND MORO. There are mountain villages with local customs and on the coast, deep-sea fishing, surfing, and the CABALLITOS DE TOTOTO reed rafts at HUANCHACO.

TRUJILLO
The traveler entering Trujillo is delighted with its surrounding greenness against a backcloth of brown Andean foothills and peaks. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1536 (and named after his native town in Spain), it still retains many old churches, graceful colonial balconies and windows overhanging its modern pavements of homes built during the reigns of the Viceroys. Besides the Cathedral it has 10 colonial churches as well as convents and monasteries, Trujillo it is also a base to visit Chan Chan, Huaca Arco Iris, Huanchaco, Sican and El Brujo.

CHAN CHAN, HUANCHACO
5km from Trujillo is the imperial city of the CHIMU - the largest adobe city in the world. The ruins consist of nine great compounds built by CHIMU kings. The nine meter high perimeter walls surrounded sacred enclosures with usually one narrow entrance. Inside, serried rows of storerooms contained the agricultural wealth of the kingdom, which stretched 1000km along the coast from near Guayaquil to Paramonga. Huanchaco is a fishing village and it is worth seeing the narrow pointed fishing rafts, known as Caballitos (little horses), made of Totora reeds and used in many places along the Peruvian coast.

CHICLAYO
Was founded in 1560 as a rural Indian village now has a population over 280,000. Chiclayo has a distinctive cuisine and musical tradition (Marinera, Tondero and afro-Indian rhythms), has a beautiful neoclasical Cathedral and a daily market (one of the northern Peru's liveliest) . It is the base to visit Sipan,Pampagrande, Tucume, Bruning Museum and many interesting sites.

Chiclayo can also be the starting point for a visit to the fabulous unexcavated areas os Chachapoyas, home of the "Warriors of the Couds".

SIPAN AND BRUNING MUSEUM
A short distance from Chiclayo rises the imposing complex of Sipan (a Moche word meaning House of the Moon), where excavations since 1987 have brought to light a cache of funerary objects considered to rank among the finest examples of precolumbian art. In the most extravagant Moche tomb discovered (1800 years old), El Senor de Sipan, a priest was found clad in gold; ear ornaments, breast plate, etc. with turquoise and other valuables. A visit to Bruning Museum in Lambayeque is also included. Specializing in Mochica, Lambayeque, Chimu and Vicus cultures, it has a fine collection of Sipan and Lambayeque gold.

PAMPA GRANDE
Pampa grande 25km from Sipan is a MOCHICA settlement interpreted by a Canadian archaelogist in 1970 as the first true north city older tha Sipan.

TUCUME
About 45km north of Chiclayo lies the archaeological site of TUCUME, ruins of a vast city built over 1000 years ago. A short climb to MIRADOR permits to see an unparellelled panoramic view of 26 major pyramids, platform mounds, walled citadels and residential compounds flanking a ceremonial center and ancient cemeteries.

For more info see Introduction to the Archaeology of the North of Peru

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1 - Lima to Chiclayo
Arrival Chiclayo, "The Capital of the Friendship" and transfer to Gran hotel Chiclayo. Then we'll visit Sipan, where the tomb of the Lord of Sipan was discovered. The Lord ruled around 200 AD over the Moche culture, and his gold laden tomb is considered to be the richest in the Americas. We will travel to the town of Lambayeque to visit the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum where many of these riches are displayed. One of Peru's newest museum the Royal Tombs of Sipan opened in November 2002 to display one of the world's greatest exhibits of historical treasures. The ancient Peruvian ruler The Lord of Sipan has been described as the "Tutankhamen of the Americas" due to the splendor of the artifacts included in his tomb. Archeologist Walter Alva discovered the Lord of Sipan in 1987 and until now the remains of the ruler of the Moche civilization, and ornate pieces including earrings, headpieces and armor made of gold, silver copper and clay from his and other tombs, have only been seen in temporary shows but never in a permanent site. The new Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum in the northern town of Lambayeque is shaped like a Moche pyramid with fiberglass bricks resembling the original site and no windows, to protect its 1,500 precious pieces from damage.

After lunch, we'll visit the 26 pre-Columbian pyramids if Tucume. These pyramids were excavated by Thor Heyerdahl (of Kon-tiki fame), who discovered burial sites, textiles, Incan figurines and depictions of reed boats. This, together with good from far-flung corners of the South America, allowed Heyerdahl to prove that the ancient people of Tucume were experienced voyagers and traders. We'll return tom Chiclayo for the night.

Day 2 - Chiclayo to Trujillo
In the morning, we'll travel by private car or bus to Trujillo. This city keeps the colonial atmosphere and it was founded in 1534 on the orders of Francisco Pizarro. Optional tour: Visit a local hacienda with delicious lunch and Peruvian Paso Fino horse show.

In the afternoon, we'll head south of town to visit the Temples of the Sun and Moon, built by the Moche Culture in around 500 AD. These 130-foot-tall pyramids are thought to be the largest adobe structures in the Americas. The photo at the right shows the many layers of colorful paintings that are currently being excavated. The government has brought people from other sites to help with the excavations here because they think there will be important finds. We return to Trujillo to spend the night. Overnight at Libertador Hotel located in the Main plaza.

Day 3 - Trujillo to Lima
Take a short of Trujillo in the morning, including the Casa del Mayorazgo, Casa Orbegozo, Casa de la Emancipacion, and La Merced Church. You'll stroll along the Grand central plaza and the streets lined with colonial mansions. We'll then visit the royal palace complex of Chan Chan, built by the Chimu culture in pre-inca times. This enormous complex, the largest in pre-Columbian America, is divided into nine separate citadels.

We'll travel to the charming seaside town of nearby Huanchaco for lunch, before returning to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Lima.

2008 Price per person double occupancy in US$:
With Gran Hotel Chiclayo + Libertador Trujillo - 2 people = US$ 570,
4 people = US$ 456, 6-8 people = US$ 432. Single Suppl US$ 84

With Costa del Sol + Los Conquistadores - 2 people = US$ 559,
4 people = US$ 444, 6-8 people = US$ 420. Single Suppl US$ 54

Included:
- Private services with local english-speaking guide
- Accommodation with breakfast
- Entrance fees to the attractions

Not Included:
- Domestic airfare tickets
- Domestic airport taxes
- Meals not mentioned
- Optional tour Peruvian paso Fino horse with Lunch at Hacienda Paijan (Optional Tour : Peruvian Paso FinoHorse with lunch at Hacienda Paijan = $72 per person for 2 people, $54 per person for 4 people, $52 per person for 6)

Notes:
- Royal Tombs of Sipan museum is closed on Monday. The tour will be provided the next day before leaving Chiclayo but they won't be able to take the Lunch at la Hacienda Paijan on route due to the time will not be enough to visit the Temples of the Sun and the Moon.
- The rates above are valid from Jan 01u ntil Dec 31, 2008 doesn't apply for long weekends or holidays such as Holy week, Independence day of Peru (Jul 28 and 29), Christmas and Dec 31st.