Trujillo

With a charming old Spanish centre, Peru’s second city is an archaeological treasure house, ringed with stunning pre-Colombian cities and fringed with a surf-battered coast.

Once the capital of the ancient Chimu civilization, Chan Chan (built AD 850) is the largest adobe city in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spanning over 20 square kilometres, it features intricate walls, plazas, temples, and dwellings made entirely of adobe bricks, showcasing the remarkable craftsmanship of the Chimu people.

The impressive archaeological site, once a monumental adobe temple built by the Moche civilization, dates back over 1,500 years. Although it has suffered from erosion and looting over the centuries, it still manages to showcase the engineering prowess of the ancient civilization. 15 minutes from Trujillo.