Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Huaca Arco Iris
(Rainbow Temple; admission free with Chan Chan ticket) Also known locally as Huaca
del Dragón, Huaca Arco Iris is in the suburb of La Esperanza, about 4km northwest of
Trujillo. Dating from the 12th century, Huaca Arco Iris is one of the best preserved of the
Chimú temples - simply because it was buried under sand until the 1960s. Its location was
known to a handful of archaeologists and huaqueros (grave robbers), but excavation did
not begin until 1963. Unfortunately, the 1983 El Niño caused damage to the friezes.
The huaca used to be painted, but these days only faint traces of yellow hues remain. It
consists of a defensive wall more than 2m thick enclosing an area of about 3000 sq
meters, which houses the temple itself. The building covers about 800 sq meters in two
levels, with a combined height of about 7.5m. The walls are slightly pyramidal and
covered with repeated rainbow designs, most of which have been restored. Ramps lead the
visitor to the very top of the temple, from where a series of large bins, found to contain the
bones of infants - possibly human sacrifices - can be seen. This may have been a fertility
temple since in many ancient cultures the rainbow represents rain, considered to be the
bringer of life.
There is a tiny onsite museum , and local guides are available to show you around.
Buses for La Esperanza go northwest along the Panamericana and can drop you off at
Huaca Arco Iris.
Huacas del Sol y de la Luna
( www.huacasdemoche.pe ; adult S11; 9am-4:30pm) The Temples of the Sun and the
Moon are more than 700 years older than Chan Chan and are attributed to the Moche peri-
od. They are on the south bank of the Río Moche, about 10km southeast of Trujillo by a
rough road. The entrance price includes a guide.
The Huaca del Sol is the largest single pre-Columbian structure in Peru, although about
a third of it has been washed away. The structure was built with an estimated 140 million
adobe bricks, many of them marked with symbols representing the workers who made
them.
At one time the pyramid consisted of several different levels connected by steep flights
of stairs, huge ramps and walls sloping at 77 degrees. The last 1500 years have wrought
their inevitable damage, and today the pyramid looks like a giant pile of crude bricks par-
tially covered with sand. The few graves within the structure suggest it may have been a
huge ceremonial site. Certainly, its size alone makes the pyramid an awesome sight, and
the views from the top are excellent.
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