The Moche Trail

Tourists in the Pómac Forest © Luis Yupanqui / PROMPERÚ

The

Moche Trail

The Moche Trail brings together the principal natural, cultural, scenic, and archaeological a ractions of the coastal departments of Lambayeque and La Libertad. It is a journey that combines the richness of some of the most important pre-Columbian civilizations--Moche, ChimĂş and SicĂĄn--with the best of the modern world. Cuisine along the trail is considered amongst the best in Peru, and its beaches are the ideal place for fishing and surfing.

Huanchaco seaside resort © Alex Bryce / PROMPERÚ

Location Lambayeque and La Libertad are located on the northern Peruvian coast.

Elevation 34 meters (La Libertad) 29 meters (Lambayeque) Average temperature Annual maximum: 26 °C Annual minimum: 17 °C Arriving from Lima La Libertad 1 hour by plane / 9 hours by road Lambayeque 1 hour and 15 minutes by plane / 13 hours by road

The sand kingdoms Take full advantage of your journey along the Moche Trail.

These are some of the a ractions you can visit.

The Pómac Forest Historic Sanctuary

21 km northeast of the main square of Lambayeque Located in a valley, it consists of twenty-four pyramids, huacas, and a museum with over one thousand textiles and ceramic and metal objects.

The Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge

22 km northeast of the main square of Ferreñafe A dry forest, it contains more than 30 pyramids constructed by the Lambayeque culture.

The Túcume Site Museum

The Sicán National Museum

Avenida Batán Grande 9, 1 km north of Ferreñafe An exhibition of recovered items that provide insight into daily life in Lambayeque culture, its social system, and its religious beliefs.

The Brüning National Archaeological Museum

Block 7, Avendia Huamachuco, Lambayeque city A collection by the German ethnographer, Enrique Brüning, it consists of many items including po ery, textiles, gold, and works in stone and bone.

Lambayeque

The Sipán Royal Tombs Museum

e ort

aN an eric am Pan

Avenida Juan Pablo Vizcardo y Guzmán 895 Lambayeque City An exhibition of earrings, ceremonial scepters, medallions, necklaces, and gold headdresses from the funeral dowry of the Lord of Sipán.

Chiclayo 11 km west of the city of Chiclayo A modern seaside resort that a racts surfers and keeps alive the tradition of the caballitos de totora boats.

The Chaparrí Ecological Reserve

65 km east of Chiclayo, including 11 km of unsealed road.

34,412 hectares housing a large variety of species in danger of extinction, such as the spectacled bear, the white-winged guan, and the Andean condor.

Scan this QR to download the trail

770 km from Lima along the Pan American Highway North Famous for its exquisite food, a cuisine that keeps ancestral secrets and delights the most demanding palate.

Pimentel

56 km to the northeast of the main square of Ferreñafe A refuge with various habitats--scrubland, dry forest, and low montane forest--that protect the white-winged guan.

Rajada Sipán Huaca

Pacasmayo resort

108 km north of Trujillo A beach resort and port with traditional architecture and excellent waves. Archaeological centers and carob dry forests are located nearby.

35 km southeast of the city of Chiclayo A complex consisting of two truncated pyramids and a funeral platform that watch over the majestic entombment of a Moche ruler.

Key Cultural trail Adventure trail Natural trail Historic Center

Puerto Chicama

Horse riding

70 km north of Trujillo Known by surfing enthusiasts as having the world’s longest left-breaking wave.

Caballito de totora boating Beach

El Brujo and Dama de Cao Archaeological Complex 60 km northwest of Trujillo, in the Chicama Valley A complex built in the Pre-Ceramic period consisting of three buildings: the Huaca Prieta, the Huaca Cao, and the Huaca Cortada. The museum displays the mummified body of a Moche dignitary--the Dama de Cao (the Lady of Cao).

Museum Bird watching Archaeological site Diving and snorkeling

am Pan

Surfing

erica orte

na N

The El Dragón Huaca (or Arco Iris

5.4 km north of Trujillo A ceremonial structure built by the Chimu, it was where they worshipped the rainbow. It also features a bicephalous figure reminiscent of a dragon.

Huanchaco beach resort

Pacific Ocean

13.5 km northwest of Trujillo A beach resort where the caballitos de totora boats continue to be used and the se ing for the Longboard Pro Peru, a competition that is part of the world longboard championship.

Chan Chan Archaeological Complex

6.5 km northwest of Trujillo, in the Moche Valley The main center of the Chimu kingdom and the largest pre-Hispanic mud city in the Americas, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986.

Illustration: Grafi i.pe | *Referential sketch

The Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la Luna

La Libertad Trujillo

560 km from Lima along the Pan American Highway North A city of colonial architecture and tradition, Trujillo is also home to some of the most important archaeological sites in Peru.

7.5 km south of Trujillo Dazzling Moche constructions, the Huaca del Sol functioned as an administrative center and the Huaca de la Luna as a ceremonial center.

Huaca de la Luna © Alex Bryce / PROMPERÚ

Begin your tour at the Chan Chan citadel, the largest pre-Hispanic mud city in the Americas, and continue north to Lambayeque, where you will find three modern museums that are a pleasure to visit: the Royal Tombs of Sipán, the National Museum of Sicán, and the Brüning Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography. You can also visit the Túcume Site Museum, the Chotuna Chornancap Museum, and the Huaca Rajada - Sipán

Enjoy a day at the beach in Puerto Chicama, La Libertad, the longest left-breaking wave in the world; and in Huanchaco, the waves are used not just by surfers but also fishermen in their traditional totora caballitos boats. Pimentel beach in Chiclayo combines the attractiveness of its waves with excellent restaurants that prepare delicious dishes based on ocean fish and seafood. Some 3 kilometers from the nursery zoo and the giant bird rescue center, this beach also has Peru's longest pier.

Appreciate its architecture through the famous Spanish influence in cities like Trujillo. Visit its many churches, the homes on its haciendas, walking along cobblestone streets lined by colonial and republican mansions.

Before you finish, go bird watching in the Chaparrí forests, in the Laquipampa wildlife refuge, or in the Pómac Forest Historical Sanctuary.

Contact us:

24 hours

(51 - 1) 574-8000 iperu@promperu.gob.pe Scan to discover more about Peru.

Visit Peru Peru

VisitPeru @VisitPeru

The information in this brochure was updated in May 2018.

In developing it PROMPERU has used official information sources.

A publication by the Peru Export and Tourism Promotion Board - PROMPERU. Calle Uno Oeste 50, piso 14, urb. Córpac, San Isidro, Lima - Perú Telephone: (51-1) 616-7300 www.promperu.gob.pe © PROMPERÚ. All rights reserved.

Lima, February 2019.

FREE DISTRIBUTION. NOT FOR SALE.