North Coast - Peru - page 680

Quito (Ec) 233.80 32

Tarapoto 85-105 18

Tumbes 27-80 9-12

Getting Around

The airport ( 46-4013) , 10km northwest of Trujillo, is reached cheaply on the Huan-
chaco combi, though you'll have to walk the last kilometer. It takes around 30 minutes. A
taxi from the city center costs S15.
A short taxi ride around town costs about S3.50. For sightseeing, taxis charge about
S20 (in town) to S25 (out of town) per hour.

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 major archaeological sites can be easily reached from Trujillo by local bus or taxi.
Two of these are principally Moche, dating from about 200 BC to AD 850. The other
three, from the Chimú culture, date from about AD 850 to 1500. The recently excavated
Moche ruin of La Huaca el Brujo (60km from Trujillo) can also be visited, but it's not as
convenient.
Joining a tour to the archaeological sites isn't a bad idea, even for budget travelers. The
ruins will be more interesting and meaningful with a good guide. Alternately, you could
hire an onsite guide.
The entrance ticket for Chan Chan is also valid for the Chimú sites of La Huaca Esmer-
alda and La Huaca Arco Iris, as well as the Chan Chan museum, but it must be used with-
in two days. All sites are open from 9am to 4:30pm and tickets are sold at every site, ex-
cept La Huaca Esmeralda.