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NORTH OF LIMA: Tumbes and Piura are the most northerly Peruvian coastal departments and are Peru’s most important beach, surfing, sporting and deep-sea fishing centres. There are small resort-type hotels and small fishing villages and beaches.
CHICLAYO: Chiclayo is a northern city with a hot and sunny climate, distinctive cuisine and musical tradition as well as an unparalleled archaeological heritage. Unfortunately, the 26 pyramid complex of Tucume (35km/22 miles north of Chiclayo) and Huaca Rajada (or the ‘Tomb of the Lord of Sipan’), considered to rank among the finest examples of pre-Columbian art are not yet well restored, thus visitors should hire a local guide. Many of the fascinating ceramics, metal objects and textiles from the region are on view at the Bruning Museum in the town of Lambayeque, located 11km (6.8 miles) north of Chiclayo. There is a new museum called Royal Tombs of Sipan, a modern three-floor pyramid inspired by the Mochica sanctuaries.
TRUJILLO: Known as ‘the City of the Eternal Spring’, Trujillo’s brightly coloured colonial mansions – such as the Casa Bracamonte or Casa del Almirante Del Risco – are well worth visiting. The area’s archaeological treasures include Chan Chan, the largest pre-Inca mud city (20 sq km/7.7 sq miles) declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and the huacas (religious centres) of the Sun and the Moon (the latter has painted mud walls depicting one of the main deities of the Moche culture). The beautifully restored Huaca Arco Iris, located close to the city limits is covered with pre-Inca hieroglyphics. Visitors may be interested in the impressive Palacio Iturregui and the Church of El Carmen with its Pinacoteca (Art Museum). Unmissable is Casinelli’s Musuem with an impressive collection of pre-Inca pottery and artefacts, collected from local huaqueros (native priests). Trujillo’s excellent sea-food restaurants, coffee shops and bars make this city one of the best places to dine in Peru.
SOUTH OF LIMA: Situated 250km (156 miles) south of Lima via the Pan-American highway, the Paracas National Reserve is home to a large concentration of sea fauna and marine birds.
ICA: A pleasant colonial town, famous for its wineries and Pisco distilleries (open to the public all year), Ica is a good point of call on a trip to the Nazca Lines. The town’s interesting Museo Regional de Ica has a striking collection of Paracas, Nazca and Inca artefacts, including a macabre installation of mummies showing the Pre-Inca method of beautifying skulls.
The Nazca Lines – 200km (125 miles) ahead towards the South – are a set of large geoglyphs thought to be made by three different cultures between 200 BC and AD 600. These spectacular drawings of animals (birds, felines and reptiles), geometric shapes and lines can be seen from an observation tower but are best viewed from the air. Flights are around US$55 and can be booked from Lima or in the town of Nasca. It wa declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.
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