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The spectacular North of Peru is rich in archaeology,
history and scenic contrasts. Bounded by the cold waters of the world's most
plentiful fishing grounds and the Amazon rainforest, lie the stark deserts,
fertile valleys, mountains and cloud forests that gave birth to several
great pre-Inca civilizations.
From the 1st to the 15th Century AD the most prominent of these cultures -
Moche, Lambayeque, Chimu and Chachapoyas - achieved great sophistication and
skill in ceramics, agriculture, architecture, metallurgy and warfare. Their
vast and mysterious citadels, tombs and temples grace the outskirts of some
of the principal cities of the north - Chiclayo, Trujillo and Chachapoyas.
THE COAST: CHICLAYO AND TRUJILLO
The Northern Coast's civilizations left us astonishing evidence of their
achievements. Tucume, the “Valley of 26 Pyramids”, was a thriving city of
temples and squares built by the Lambayeque in the 11th Century and
conquered by the Chimu in the 14th. The exquisitely decorated Moche Temples
of the Sun and the Moon stand a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, near the
500-acre complex of Chan Chan, capital of the Chimu Empire and one of the
largest and most developed cities in the ancient Americas.
In Chiclayo you will visit the tomb of the Lord of Sipan (the richest tomb
discovered in the Americas), the Valley of the 26 pyramids of Tucume and
Bruning Museum where there is an interesting collection of gold artifacts
and ceramics.
The Moche tomb of Sipan -the richest burial site discovered in the Western
Hemisphere (October 1988 - National Geographic) is a few miles east of the
modern city of Chiclayo. Finely crafted gold artifacts and ceramics
recovered from these complexes are on display at the Museum of the Royal
Tombs - one of the finest in South America as well as at the Museum of Sican.
The region's shamans, direct descendants of these lost civilizations, are
famous throughout Peru for their healing skills and wisdom, and can be
visited by travelers. Nature lovers may explore the unique dry forest of
Chaparri and the Spectacled Bear reintroduction project. Birdwatchers enjoy
spotting the region's 40 unique (endemic) bird species, including the
emblematic Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird. Travelers may also visit
Colonial House and traditional haciendas that breed and show Peru's world
famous “Paso Fino” horses.
Just south of Trujillo: The pyramids of the Sun and Moon are the largest
structures ever put up in South America, and are second in the Western
Hemisphere only to the Pyramid of Cholula, Mexico, in size. They formed the
spiritual center of the Moche Empire, a highly sophisticated yet mysterious
culture that pre-dated the Incas by nearly 1000 years. It is quite certain
that the Moche Indians had contact with other civilizations in the ancient
Americas, and there is good reason to believe they may have been influenced
by Asian ocean- going voyagers as well.
The Pyramid of the Moon contains a central, vaulted chamber, and the
mountain directly behind, Cerro Blanco, appears to have been shaped by
humans into a pyramid form as well. Despite their achievements in
architecture, metal-working, and ceramics (one can still find countless
pottery shards in the sands surrounding the site), the Moche were very
militaristic, and scenes from their pottery depict ritual bloodletting and
torture. They may have evolved a system of “black” magic that aided them in
their conquests of neighboring peoples, or they may have taken spiritual
teachings from Asia and twisted their meanings into bizarre new practices
over the centuries.
Huanchaco is a fishing town where “caballitos de totora” are still used by
the local inhabitants, who venture into the cold currents of the Pacific in
these precarious-looking reed boats. This massive adobe city, really a
series of royal compounds built by the Chimu, was a major source of gold for
both the Incas, and later, for the Spanish. Though well-looted over the
centuries, gold artifacts still occasionally appear in the drifting sands.
Contacts between Chan Chan and the Asian continent have never been proven,
but there are tantalizing hints. Pottery figures depict Asiatic men with
beards and turbans; even the name “Chan Chan” seems to be Chinese in origin.
Don’t miss the famous “honeycombs,” where strange acoustic effects allow
visitors to whisper to each other over long distances inside the adobe
structures.
We offer 3 exciting tours in this area , please make a choice:
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