Matt Munro

Trujillo

Stand in the right spot and the glamorous streets of old Trujillo look like they’ve barely changed in hundreds of years. Well, there are more honking taxis now, but the city still manages to put on a dashing show with its polychrome buildings and profusion of colonial-era churches. Most people come here to visit the remarkable pre-Incan archaeological sites nearby, spending just a short time wandering the compact city center.

The behemoth Chimú capital of Chan Chan is nearby. It was the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, making it the top attraction in the region. Other Chimú sites bake in the surrounding desert, among them the immense and suitably impressive Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (Temples of the Sun and Moon), which date back 1500 years.

Beach bums may consider staying in the laid-back surfer village of Huanchaco, just 20 minutes up the road.

Explore Trujillo

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Casa Ganoza Chopitea
Northeast of the cathedral, this c 1735 mansion, also known as Casa de los Léones, is considered to be the best-preserved mansion of the colonial period…
C
Casa de Urquiaga
Owned and maintained by Banco Central de la Reserva del Perú since 1972, this beautiful colonial mansion’s history dates to 1604, though the original…
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Museo de Arqueología
This well-curated museum features a rundown of Peruvian history from 12,000 BC to the present day, with an emphasis on Moche, Chimú and Inca civilizations…
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Palacio Iturregui
This imposing gray early 19th-century mansion is impossible to ignore. Built in neoclassical style, it has beautiful window gratings, 36 slender interior…
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Casa de la Emancipación
Now the Banco BBVA Continental, this building features a mishmash of colonial and Republican styles and is best known as the site where Trujillo’s…
I
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Iglesia de Santo Domingo is an interesting church near the Plaza de Armas. The original church, built in the 16th century, was one of the first…
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Basilica Menor Catedral
Known simply as ‘La Catedral,’ this bright, canary-yellow church fronting the plaza was begun in 1647, destroyed in 1759, and rebuilt soon afterward. The…
I
Iglesia del Carmen
The Iglesia del Carmen and its charming monastery is home to an impressive Carmelite museum – the Pinacoteca El Carmen – but visiting is a real mission…
C
Casona Orbegoso
Named after a former president of Peru, this beautiful 18th-century corner manor is home to a collection of well-worn art and period furnishings, but its…

C
Casa Ganoza Chopitea
Northeast of the cathedral, this c 1735 mansion, also known as Casa de los Léones, is considered to be the best-preserved mansion of the colonial period…
C
Casa de Urquiaga
Owned and maintained by Banco Central de la Reserva del Perú since 1972, this beautiful colonial mansion’s history dates to 1604, though the original…
M
Museo de Arqueología
This well-curated museum features a rundown of Peruvian history from 12,000 BC to the present day, with an emphasis on Moche, Chimú and Inca civilizations…
P
Palacio Iturregui
This imposing gray early 19th-century mansion is impossible to ignore. Built in neoclassical style, it has beautiful window gratings, 36 slender interior…
C
Casa de la Emancipación
Now the Banco BBVA Continental, this building features a mishmash of colonial and Republican styles and is best known as the site where Trujillo’s…
I
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Iglesia de Santo Domingo is an interesting church near the Plaza de Armas. The original church, built in the 16th century, was one of the first…
B
Basilica Menor Catedral
Known simply as ‘La Catedral,’ this bright, canary-yellow church fronting the plaza was begun in 1647, destroyed in 1759, and rebuilt soon afterward. The…
I
Iglesia del Carmen
The Iglesia del Carmen and its charming monastery is home to an impressive Carmelite museum – the Pinacoteca El Carmen – but visiting is a real mission…
C
Casona Orbegoso
Named after a former president of Peru, this beautiful 18th-century corner manor is home to a collection of well-worn art and period furnishings, but its…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Trujillo.

See
Casa Ganoza Chopitea
Northeast of the cathedral, this c 1735 mansion, also known as Casa de los Léones, is considered to be the best-preserved mansion of the colonial period…
See
Casa de Urquiaga
Owned and maintained by Banco Central de la Reserva del Perú since 1972, this beautiful colonial mansion’s history dates to 1604, though the original…
See
Museo de Arqueología
This well-curated museum features a rundown of Peruvian history from 12,000 BC to the present day, with an emphasis on Moche, Chimú and Inca civilizations…
See
Palacio Iturregui
This imposing gray early 19th-century mansion is impossible to ignore. Built in neoclassical style, it has beautiful window gratings, 36 slender interior…
See
Casa de la Emancipación
Now the Banco BBVA Continental, this building features a mishmash of colonial and Republican styles and is best known as the site where Trujillo’s…
See
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Iglesia de Santo Domingo is an interesting church near the Plaza de Armas. The original church, built in the 16th century, was one of the first…
See
Basilica Menor Catedral
Known simply as ‘La Catedral,’ this bright, canary-yellow church fronting the plaza was begun in 1647, destroyed in 1759, and rebuilt soon afterward. The…
See
Iglesia del Carmen
The Iglesia del Carmen and its charming monastery is home to an impressive Carmelite museum – the Pinacoteca El Carmen – but visiting is a real mission…
See
Casona Orbegoso
Named after a former president of Peru, this beautiful 18th-century corner manor is home to a collection of well-worn art and period furnishings, but its…

Guidebooks

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