Trujillo, the city of eternal spring, is the birthplace of one of the most representative dances of Peru: the Marinera Norteña. One of Peru’s main cultural destinations, the city is home to numerous pre-Inca ruins, while at the same time it showcases why it was one of the most important cities of the colonial era, with its beautiful and perfectly preserved buildings and mansions.
The area is also famous for the seaside resort of Huanchaco, where it is possible to see fishermen navigating the sea on rustic totora reed vessels, which the Spaniards called “sea horses” when they first arrived.
Since pre-Inca times, this area of the country has been witnessing the great economic, social and cultural development of the Mochica and Chimu cultures. The Mochicas were powerful warriors and extraordinary artisans and its domain covered the majority of Peru’s northern and central coast.
One of the most representative samples of Moche architecture are the Sun and Moon Pyramids, believed to be the most influential ceremonial centres of the area, whilst El Brujo, comprised of three great units: Huaca Prieta, one of the most ancient constructions in Peru, El Brujo and Cao Viejo, where the tomb of the Señora de Cao (Lady of Cao) was found.
Also prominent are the constructions in truncated pyramid form, made with thousands of adobe mud bricks where the walls of the temples are adorned with friezes and multicolour anthropomorphic images of deities and warriors.
After the Moche culture, the Chimu culture flourished in this area. Its capital was Chan Chan, believed to be the largest city in the world built out of adobe, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built over an area of twenty square kilometres, at its peak it had a population of approximately one hundred thousand people.
