Bucket list experience:
Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru
Trujillo
Credit Shutterstock.com/Christian Vinces
Horse-drawn carriages clopping past stately churches and mansions with Juliet balconies, towering pyramids faced with eerie painted masks, ancient labyrinthine ruined cities… Trujillo is an archaeological treasure house.
The city sits behind golden beaches 500 kilometres north of Lima – easily reachable on a short flight. Allow at least three days. Get lost in the old Spanish centre, take a surf class, then spend a day wandering the vast sculpture-covered ruins at Chan Chan (the largest adobe city in the world), and the giant pyramids at Huacas del Sol.
If you have time, spend another day at El Brujo, 60 km north; this ruined capital city was home to ten ancient cultures, covered with Escheresque geometric murals and strange sculpted figures.
Sky and Latam have several flights daily taking around 60 minutes. There are many Lima-Trujillo buses daily. The journey takes around 10 hours. Book local guided tours to all the archaeological sites for fascinating insights. Book a cab for the day to reach El Brujo – it costs about £40.
Trujillo is good to visit all year round. The archaeological sites are open daily.
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Trujillo
Price: $27
Rating 4.5 / 5 [40 ratings]
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Peru
A land of spectacular deserts, high mountains and rainforests that teem with wildlife, Peru is also home to an array of dramatically situated pre-Colombian ruins, including Machu Picchu.
