Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
and even has a “Sala de Oro” (room of
gold), full of Sipán and Sicán treasures.
To get to Lambayeque , take a combi
from the corner of Calle San José (leading
of the northwest corner of the Plaza de
Armas) with Avenida Leonardo Ortíz
(15min). The museums are within
walking distance of each other and
everyone in town knows where they are.
cabalgatasperu.com) offers different
riding tours of the area from S45 for four
hours. Don't miss the Árbol Milenario ,
an ancient, enormous carob tree which
locals believe has magic and religious
powers; it's situated along the main road
through the forest.
Tours will take you here from Chiclayo,
usually combined with a visit to one or
two of the museums above, but if you
want to go alone, get a combi from the
Terminal EPSEL in Chiclayo (45min;
S5) and head for the Centro de
Interpretación, at the entrance to the
forest on the main road from Chiclayo,
for information.
W
Museo Nacional Sicán
Little is known about the Sicán, or
Lambayeque, culture, even though it
existed as recently as the fourteenth
century AD. Some suggest Sicán culture
was simply an extension of Moche
culture, which makes it fascinating to
compare the haul at the Museo Nacional
Sicán in Ferreñafe (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm;
S8; T 074 286 469, E museosican
@hotmail.com) with its counterpart in
Lambayeque, as it's clear there are
similarities between the two in terms
of their belief and adornment. Although
this museum is the less well-presented
of the two and the treasures fewer, the
metalwork here is finer and the use of
semi-precious stones just as remarkable.
There's also a reconstruction of the surreal
tomb of the Señor de Sicán; his body was
discovered decapitated, upside down and
with huge gauntlets laid out beside him.
To get to the museum , take a combi
from the corner of Avenida Sáenz Peña
and Calle Leoncio Prado in Chiclayo
(approx 25min; S2.50) to the town of
Ferreñafe and then a mototaxi to the
museum (approx 5min; S1.50).
Valle de los Pirámides
The Sicán culture was also responsible for
the extraordinary Valle de los Pirámides
(Valley of the Pyramids) at Túcume
(museum daily 8am-4.30pm; S8; T 074
830 250, W museodesitiotucume.com).
This site consists of a cluster of a few of
the 26 trapezoidal structures that fan out
around the countryside here - you can
see many of them for miles around if you
scale the tallest in the complex. There's
a small museum and a great craft shop
selling individual pieces made by locals.
Combis to Túcume cost S2.50 and leave
from the Terminal Leguía at the Ovalo
del Pescador in Chiclayo (take a taxi
there, as it's a 30min walk from the centre
and in a rough neighbourhood). Ask for
“los pirámides” and the combi will drop
you on the main road about 1km from
the site. A mototaxi from there will cost
S1.50 per person.
Bosque de Pómac
The major treasures from the Sicán
culture on display in Ferreñafe were
discovered in the Huaca del Oro
(Temple of Gold) in the Bosque de Pómac
(Pomac Forest) in Batán Grande. This
is considered to be the seat of the Sicán
empire, with a host of other huacas rising
majestically out of the verdant forest -
it's worth scaling the Huaca las Ventanas
(Temple of the Windows) to get a
wonderful view of them.
The forest is a great place for a
picnic, birdwatching or horseriding
- Rancho Santana ( T 979 712 145,
MÁNCORA AND AROUND
Just a small fishing village until about
twenty years ago, MÁNCORA has become
Peru's most popular beach resort
- justifiably so, as the sea is warm most
of the year, the beaches are white and the
waves near perfect. It's definitely worth
a stop to relax on the beach, eat to your
heart's content at the great restaurants
and try the outdoor sports. Máncora's
nightlife is also famous, but can definitely
make you feel that sleep is for the weak.
Between the loud music and the busy
 
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