If you are having trouble trying to figure out when
to go to Peru, you will be happy to hear that at least
one Peruvian city features agreeable weather
year round. Known as the City of Eternal Spring, Trujillo
Peru is the country’s third largest city, and it
is located in the northwest part of the country, just
about 350 miles north of Lima.
Once home to the great South American liberator, Simon
Bolivar, Trujillo has among its important universities
the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, which Bolivar helped
to create just three years after Trujillo declared its
independence from Spain.
Trujillo Peru maintains a somewhat small town colonial
charm, although it is a major commercial city. If you
choose to include Trujillo travel in your Peru vacation,
you can explore the ruins and cultures of pre-Columbian
civilizations that flourished here, and admire the downtown
mansions that harken back to the lucrative colonial period.
Other important Peru cities that you might consider visiting
during your Trujillo vacation are Chiclayo,
which is just about 125 miles to the north, and Cajamarca,
which is approximately 185 miles northeast.
Though Trujillo Peru was one of the first cities that the Spanish conquistadors established in the Americas, the area had already proved significant settling grounds for previous cultures. Among the primary civilizations that flourished near Trujillo, are the Moche and the Chimu. The Moche civilization, also known as the Mochica civilization, thrived throughout northern Peru, roughly between 100 AD-800 AD. The Moche people left behind a varied collection of artefacts, most notably perhaps of which are the Moche pottery offerings. Scenes depicted on vases and other Moche pottery items suggest a people that revered sexual exploits, among other things. Hints into the Moche means of agriculture, transportation and overall society can be found on these beautifully painted relics. Moche archaeological sites of primary importance can be found just 15 minutes south of Trujillo, and you can visit them on one of the Trujillo tours. The Sun Temple (Huaca El Sol), and the Moon Temple (Huaca La Luna), are the featured Moche archaeological sites. Perhaps the most popular Trujillo tours are those that head to the excavated Chimu city of Chan Chan. The Chimu came after the Moche people, and their empire reached its zenith in the 1400's. The Chimu glory days would not last long after this heightened period, as the Inca would soon conquer the region.
The Inca settlement in Trujillo would fall upon the
arrival of the Spaniards. Diego de Almagro, a Spanish
conquistador who helped Francisco Pizarro conquer Peru,
founded Trujillo on December 6, 1534. He named the city
Trujillo, after the city in Spain where Pizarro was born.
Spanish royalty would rank Trujillo as an official city
in 1537, and the Spanish would go on to make the city
quite an opulent place. In the late 1600's, the Spanish
conquerors erected a large wall around the city, partly
to protect themselves from pirates. Trujillo tourism greatly
benefits from this old wall and the historical center
that lies within its enclosure. Here, you will find beautiful
mansions of varying pastel colors, whose wrought-iron
window protectors are a huge Trujillo tourism draw. Among
the mansions you might consider visiting on your Trujillo
vacation, is Casa Urquiaga, were Bolivar lived for 2 years
in the 1820's. Some of the churches built by the Spanish
are part of the allure of a Trujillo vacation, and many
visitors and locals alike enjoy hanging out at the grand
Plaza de Armas. Trujillo proclaimed its independence from
Spain on December 20, 1820, making it the first major
Peruvian city to do so.
Trujillo tourism isn’t limited to just archaeological sites and Spanish colonial treasures. Every year in January, one of the top Peru events takes place here, and the nearby beaches are where you can find some of the best Peru surfing. Here, the waves just might be the longest in the world, and every March a surfing competition is held along the nearby coast. The aforementioned Trujillo event is known as the National Marinera Dance Contest, and if you are here in October, you won’t want to miss out on the International Spring Festival. Rounding out the primary attractions you might include on your Trujillo vacation itinerary, is the nearby beach and vacation spot of Huanchaco, where some of the best Trujillo hotels are found. Huanchaco is not far from the Chan Chan site, and besides being a prime spot for surfing and other water activities, it is a great place to try ceviche. Ceviche is a signature Peru food dish that is basically a seafood salad marinated in citrus juices, and being so close to the coast, you can bet the day’s catch often makes the Trujillo restaurant menus. Be sure to check out the reed fishing boats at Huanchaco, which are known as “Caballitos de totora”. Totora is a certain kind of reed that grows in South America, and the Uros people who live on Lake Titicaca reside on totora reed islands. Peru is quite the fascinating country, that is for sure.
