Salaverry / Peru

The port city of Salaverry is located on the western, Pacific coast of Peru about 550 kilometers north of Lima and a half-hour drive south of the city of Trujillo.

Trujillo is the third largest city in Peru, situated at the foot of the South American Andes at the mouth of the Moche River in the valley of the same name. Although the area is visited far less than the country's coast south of Lima, it offers countless interesting archaeological sites for visitors and, due to fewer tourists, also a more authentic atmosphere of old colonial times.

The history of the area dates back thousands of years before our era. The first Europeans in the place of today's Trujillo were the Spaniards, and according to historians, the city was founded in 1534 by the Spanish conquistador Diego de Almagro. The city grew rapidly, but in 1619 it was destroyed by an earthquake. Between 1687-89, a 5.5-kilometer-long wall was built around Trujillo to protect it from pirates.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the city became the center of the country's struggle for independence, formally declaring it in 1820, and three years later it became the first capital of independent Peru. Trujillo prospered, and nothing changed even after the country's center was moved to Lima.

Much of the city's colonial history has been preserved to this day: old churches and colorful colonial mansions with characteristic balconies, some of which are open to the public. Among them is the House of Emancipation, where Peru's independence was declared. Another very representative building is the Ganoza House with its baroque and rococo facade and two lions.

Trujillo is considered the cradle of Peru's freedom, as reminded by the Freedom Monument on Plaza de Armas, where you will also find a beautiful cathedral from the mid-17th century.

In the valley near the city, there are about two thousand archaeological sites. One of the most famous landmarks in the area is the ancient capital of Chan Chan, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was built around 850 by the people of the Chimu culture, which preceded the Inca civilization. At its peak, Chan Chan had about one hundred thousand inhabitants, making it the largest pre-Columbian city in both Americas and the largest adobe city in the world.

Even older are the Temples of the Sun and the Moon, built by the people of the Moche culture. The temples are pyramidal, with about 50 million adobe bricks used for the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of the Sun is the largest adobe structure in South America.

Places worth seeing

Plaza de Armas – Visit the main square with a 17th-century cathedral, a number of beautiful colonial houses, and the Freedom Monument.

Chan Chan - Admire the monumental ancient residence of the Chimu culture from the mid-9th century, the largest adobe city in the world.

Huaca del Sol, Huaca de la Luna – Be enchanted by the ancient pyramidal Temples of the Sun and the Moon, built at the beginning of the first millennium AD by the Moche people.

Casa de la Emancipación – Explore the house where Peru's independence was declared in 1820 and which later also served as the president's residence.

Laguna de Conache – Take a trip to the lake surrounded by sand dunes, ideal for sandboarding.

Playa Huanchaco – If you are a surfing enthusiast, don't miss the beach, considered one of the best surfing destinations in the world.