Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One-way taxi rides to the pre-Columbian ruins that surround Trujillo generally cost S10 to
S15.
A minivan bus system connects points around the city. These also go past some of the big
archeological sites. Fares are only S2, but watch for pickpockets.
Around Trujillo
The Moche and Chimú cultures left the greatest marks on the Trujillo area, but they were
by no means the only cultures in the region. In a March 1973
National Geographic
article,
Drs ME Moseley and CJ Mackey claimed knowledge of more than 2000 sites in the Río
Moche valley and many more have been discovered since.
Five of these sites are of interest to travelers, including the adobe city of Chan Chan
and the Moche pyramids of Las Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. The entrance ticket for Chan
Chan is valid for the Chimú sites of Huaca Esmeralda and Huaca Arco Iris, as well as the
Chan Chan museum, but it must be used within two days. Tickets are sold at every site,
except La Huaca Esmeralda.
For the most part, the ruins are best reached via taxi or group tour.
Sights
CHAN CHAN
(admission S11; 9am-4:30pm)
Built around AD 1300 and covering 36 sq km, Chan Chan is
the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas and the largest adobe city in the world. At
the height of the Chimú empire, it housed an estimated 60,000 inhabitants and contained a
vast wealth of gold, silver and ceramics (which the Spanish quickly looted). Over time,
devastating El Niño floods and heavy rainfall have severely eroded the mud walls of the
city - you'll need an active imagination to fill in the details. Today the most impressive
aspect of the site is its sheer size.
| Ruins
