64 Best Sights in The North Coast and Northern Highlands, Peru

The owner of this splendid museum, Nicolás Puga Cobián, has spent more than 50 years amassing a mind-blowing array of treasures from Peru's pre-Hispanic, colonial, and republican past. Not content, however, with merely owning these artworks, he's also graciously opened his house to visitors so they can share in his passion for his native Cajamarca. Nazca textiles, Moche masks, polychrome crucifixes, portable retablos inlaid with mirrors: the collection is as varied as it is well chosen. No less impressive is the 200-year-old casona, whose furnishings were acquired from local families dating back to 1532. Visiting hours are flexible, but it's essential to call for an appointment so you don't surprise Don Nicolás at lunch.

With its strange, honeycomblike walls and labyrinth of wavy parapets, this sprawling ancient capital is the largest adobe city in the world. Its surreal geometry once held boulevards, gardens, palaces, and some 10,000 dwellings in what was effectively the greatest pre-Columbian settlement in the Americas. Within its precincts, too, were nine royal compounds, one of which—the royal palace of Nik An (also known as the Tschudi complex, after a Swiss explorer)—has been partially restored and opened to the public. Although the city had its roots in Moche civilization, the Chimú people took control of the region around AD 900 and expanded the metropolis to its current size.

Before entering this UNESCO World Heritage Site, stop to check out the photo survey of the ruins at the time of their discovery. Then begin at Nik An's Plaza Principal, a vast square used for festivals and ceremonies. The king's throne is thought to have been in front, at the top of the ramp; note the carvings of sea otters at the base of the walls. From here, head deep into the ruins toward the royal palace of the lord of Chimú. The main corridor is marked by fishnet designs, marking the importance of the sea to these ancient people.

You'll also find renderings of pelicans, which served as ancient road signs, their beaks pointing to important sections of the city.

Just before you arrive at the recinto funerario, the funeral chamber of the Chimú lord, you'll pass a small natural reservoir called a huachaque: this pond was used both to raise crops and for ritual purposes. Further on, 44 secondary alcoves surround the funerary precinct where the king was buried. In his day, it was understood that when you passed to the netherworld, you could bring your worldly necessities with you, so Chimú potentates were interred with live concubines and a slew of personal effects—most of which have been looted. Though wind and rain have done their worst to undermine the city, its grandeur, visionary design, and size—20 square km (8 square miles)—still astonish.

Indiana Jones would feel right at home in these fascinating ruins, which feature an underground labyrinth of stone corridors with a terrifying idol at their center. The idol, known as the Lanzón, is a 4-meter (13-foot) daggerlike slab with a jaguar's face and serpentine hair, and it was the Holy of Holies for the Chavín people, who constituted the mother civilization for the Andes. Pilgrims from all over South America would come here to worship, eventually spreading the cult of the so-called Fanged Deity throughout the continent. To make things even crazier, during ceremonies here, Chavín priests and their acolytes would ingest the psychedelic San Pedro cactus, thus facilitating their transformation into the smiling, ferocious god.

Visiting the Chavín archaeological complex, which dates from 1500 BC, is a favorite day trip from Huaraz. The UNESCO World Heritage Site sits on the southern edge of the tiny village of the same name and comprises two separate wings of the main temple, a large U-shaped main plaza, a second plaza surrounded with mysterious carvings, and an on-site museum that houses the grinning stone heads that once looked out from the temple's outer wall. On the drive southeast from Huaraz, you get good views of two Andean peaks, Pucaraju (5,322 meters/17,460 feet) and Yanamarey (5,237 meters/17,180 feet), as well as of the alpine Laguna de Querococha. The eight-hour tour costs about S/50 per person, not including the entrance fee to the ruins. If you'd prefer to get here on your own, regular buses run between Huaraz and Chavín, and you can hire a guide at the entrance to the site.

This intriguing complex is currently one of the hot properties on the Peruvian archaeological circuit. Plopped down in a barren dune about 6 km (4 miles) from Magdalena, it consists of three distinct huacas, or holy sites: Huaca Cao, Huaca Prieta, and Huaca Cortada. Huaca Cao is the star: in 2006, it was the site of the electrifying discovery of the Lady of Cao, a 1,600-year-old mummy whose tattoos marked her as a Moche priestess or ruler. The finding was immediately compared with that of King Tut's tomb in Egypt, as it completely turned notions of power in pre-Columbian Peru upside down. Equally impressive is the huaca's pyramid itself, where the multicolored friezes of warriors and human sacrifices give a powerful idea of the Moches' artistic skill. The excellent museum is among the most informative of its kind: in it, you'll find a forensic reconstruction of the Lady of Cao's appearance, as well as the mummy of the grande dame herself. The other two huacas are still undergoing excavation, but the entrance fee covers all three. The site is well worth the trip from Trujillo.

This ransom chamber is the only Inca building still standing in Cajamarca. After Pizarro and his men captured Atahualpa, the Inca king offered to fill the chamber once with gold and twice with silver. The ransom was met, up to a marking on the stone wall, but the war-hardened Spaniards killed Atahualpa anyway. Today, visitors aren't allowed in the room itself, but if you look closely, you can still make out the marks the Inca left in an attempt to buy off his captors.

Amazingly, Gocta, a 771-meter (2,529-foot) waterfall believed to be the third-tallest in Peru, wasn't brought to the attention of the national government until 2006. The falls, about 50 km (31 miles) outside Chachapoyas, are strongest during the rainy season, from November to April, though during the dry season, the sun will likely be out and you'll be able to swim at their base. Occasionally, on the 2½-hour hike from the village of Cocachimba (you can hire guides there if you're not coming on a tour from Chachapoyas), you may be able to spot toucans or the endemic yellow-tailed woolly monkey. Trekking enthusiasts can also follow a 15-km (9-mile) circuit for up-close views of the upper and lower parts of the cataract.

The best way to appreciate the site is by staying at the charming, 16-room Gocta Lodge, especially if you aim to see the falls in morning or late-afternoon light.

Stark and strange beneath the ash-gray hill that towers over them, these astonishing Moche pyramids were the scenes of bloody human sacrifices. Their exteriors may have eroded, but inside archaeologists have uncovered sinister octopus-shaped reliefs of the great Moche god Ai-Apaec, as well as evidence of a cataclysmic El Niño sequence that effectively destroyed Moche civilization.

The Huacas of the Sun and Moon are located some 8 km (5 miles) outside Trujillo, near the Río Moche. The former is the bigger of the two, but it's not open to the public due to its decayed state. (Built up of 130 million adobe bricks in eight continually expanding stages, its treasures were literally cleaned out of it in 1610, when the Spanish diverted the river to wash the imperial gold and silver from its innards.) The Huaca of the Moon is awesome in its own right, with numerous exterior and interior walls blazoned with bizarre mythological reliefs. These include spiderlike creatures, warriors, and the scowling face of Ai-Apaec, the ferocious god to whom captives were sacrificed at the pyramid's base. These sacrifices probably occurred to propitiate the gods of the weather, but alas, it didn't work. A series of violent El Niño events around the year 600 brought drought and sandstorms, eventually ending the Moche civilization.

When you visit the Huaca de la Luna, you'll start from the top, near the sacrificial altars, and work your way down through the inner galleries to the murals at the base. This was where archaeologists discovered bones of the Moches' victims in recent decades.

Be sure to allot time for the excellent museum, which includes exhibits of Moche artwork and informative discussions of the culture's history and religion.

Discovered in 1985, the six coffins that make up this uncanny funeral site 48 km (30 miles) northwest of Chachapoyas overlook a ruined village and are thought to contain the mummies of sorcerers and warriors. The Chachapoyas people built the tombs into a sheer cliff side sometime around the year 1460, and today the eerie funeral masks—together with the bones scattered around the site—provide a haunting reminder of the great chieftains that once held sway over the surrounding country. The Karajía sarcophagi, or "ancient wise men" as the locals call them, originally included eight coffins, but two have collapsed due to earthquakes. This has allowed archaeologists to study the contents of the wood-and-clay caskets, which were found to house a single individual in the fetal position, along with all the ceramics and other belongings the deceased carried with him into the afterlife. Visitors today can't get close to the sarcophagi due to their cliff-side location, but the view of them standing guard over the ravine below is awe-inspiring.

Consistently compared to Machu Picchu, this extraordinary site high in the cloud forests of Chachapoyas was a walled city sufficient unto itself, housing farmers, shamans, and administrators, as well as the "warriors of the cloud" that made up the Chachapoyans' military class. Wandering the circular ruins, with their 20-meter-high (65-foot-high) stone walls and enigmatic carvings of faces and snakes, you catch a haunting glimpse of a fierce people that resisted the Inca Empire to the bitter end.

Kuélap sits at a dizzying 3,000 meters (9,840 feet), high above the Río Utcubamba. Consisting of more than 400 small, rounded buildings, it comprises lookout towers, huts with (reconstructed) grass roofs, turrets, and rhomboid friezes typical of the region. The most interesting of the rounded buildings has been dubbed El Tintero (The Inkpot) and features a large underground chamber with a huge pit. Archaeologists hypothesize that the Chachapoyans kept pumas in this pit, into whose ferocious jaws they threw human sacrifices during religious rituals. The ruins are in surprisingly good condition considering the antiquity (900 or so years) of the site: the Incas appear to have left it alone when they overran the Chachapoyans around 1470.

Regularly cited among the "most beautiful lakes in the world," this small but stunning glacial lake in Parque Nacional Huascarán merits every bit of the hype it's garnered, due to its singular beauty and the spectacularly scenic hike leading up to it. This trek will take your breath away, figuratively and literally: the site's 4,600-meter (15,092-foot) elevation is ear-popping.

Smart visitors will come prepared—treat your outing to Laguna 69 like a high-altitude hike, not merely a photo op. Remind yourself that you'll be just 2,000 feet below the level of the base camp at Mount Everest, and train, pack, and allot yourself acclimatization time accordingly. It’s possible to get to Laguna 69 and do the hike solo, but it's cheaper (and safer) to take a tour. If you're an experienced high-altitude hiker, you can beat the crowds by staying at a campsite near the trek's trailhead and setting out before the tour buses arrive.

Make sure your phone is fully charged when you visit these ravishing lakes, which are some of the most photogenic gems of the Peruvian sierra. Seen in sunlight, their crystalline waters shine a luminescent turquoise—an explosion of color against the gray of the encircling ice caps. Access to the area is via a giant gorge formed millions of years ago by a retreating glacier. If you look closely, you can see waterfalls of glacial melt snaking their way down the gorge's flanks, falling silently into the lake.

There are also many quenual (paper-bark) trees on the encircling slopes, while high above are visible treeless alpine meadows and the hanging glaciers of the looming mountains. At the lower lake, called Lago Chinancocha, you can hire a rowboat (S/5 per person) to take you to the center. A few trailside signs give info about local flora and fauna.

The easiest way to get here is with a group tour from Huaraz (about S/40 plus the entrance fee), though if you're going on the Santa Cruz trek the lake will probably be your starting point. Tours stop here and at many other spots on the Callejón de Huaylas, finishing in Caraz. All visitors must pay the Huascarán National Park fee.

This striking pyramidal complex, which ranks among Peru's best museums, was inaugurated in 2002 as a showcase for the artifacts from the tomb of the Lord of Sipán, one of the great archaeological finds of the 20th century. The discovery introduced the world to the splendors of Moche art, and the exhibits here detail the placement of every piece of jewelry, scrap of clothing, or ceramic vase in the three tombs unearthed at Huaca Rajada, 50 km (31 miles) to the east. As you descend through the museum's three floors, in a path that mimics that of the original diggers, you'll see spectacular turquoise-and-gold earrings, bizarre hairless dogs buried with the Señor, and life-size mock-ups of Mochica warriors. The story of how Walter Alva, the Peruvian scientist behind the find, tracked local huaqueros (looters) as he raced to uncover the graves is every bit as heart-pounding as the treasures themselves.

English-speaking guides are available to help with the Spanish-only descriptions and confusing order of exhibits.

The Lagunas de Llanganuco are just one of the gateways to Parque Nacional Huascarán, which covers 3,400 square km (1,300 square miles) and was created in 1975 to protect flora and fauna in the Cordillera Blanca.This incredible mountain range has a total of 663 glaciers and includes the highest peaks in the Peruvian Andes.

Huascarán, which soars to 6,768 meters (22,205 feet), is the highest in Peru. The smaller Alpamayo, 5,947 meters (19,511 feet), is said by many to be the most beautiful mountain in the world; its majestic flanks inspire awe and wonder in those lucky enough to get a glimpse. Not far away, the monstrous Chopicalqui and Chacraraju rise above 6,000 meters (19,700 feet).

Within the park's boundaries you'll also find more than 770 plant species. Sadly, there's a scarcity of wildlife in the park: many animals have been decimated by hunting and the loss of natural habitats. Among the 120 avian species and 10 species of mammals, you're most likely to see wild ducks and condors. With a good bit of patience—and an equal amount of luck—you may also glimpse foxes, deer, pumas, and vizcachas.

The giant national park attracts a plethora of nature lovers, including campers, hikers, and mountain climbers. Myriad treks weave through the region, ranging from fairly easy one-day hikes to 20-day marathons. Within the park, you can head out on the popular Llanganuco–Santa Cruz loop, a three- to five-day trek through mountain valleys, past crystalline lakes, and over a 4,750-meter-high (15,584-foot-high) pass. Other popular hikes include the one-day Lake Churup trek, the two-day Quilcayhuanca-Cayesh trek, and the two-day Ishinca trek. Check with agencies in Huaraz for maps, trail information, and insider advice before heading out.

If possible, plan on visiting Laguna 69, one of the park's high points; it's frequently included in hikes and day trips from Huaraz. Although experienced hikers who know how to survive in harsh mountain conditions may decide to head out on their own, it's always safer to arrange for a guide in Huaraz. You can opt to have donkeys or llamas carry the heavy stuff, leaving you with just a day pack. The most common ailments on these treks are sore feet and altitude sickness. Wear comfortable, broken-in hiking shoes, and take precautions to avoid feeling the elevation (drink lots of water, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, and allow yourself time to acclimatize before you head out). The best time to go trekking is during the dry season, from May through September. July and August are the driest months—though dry season doesn't mean an absence of rain or even snow, so dress appropriately.

Some hikers decide to enter the park at night to avoid paying the cost of a multiday pass, but the money from these fees goes to protect the Andean habitat; consider this before you slip in after hours (nighttime safety is also a concern). You can purchase a pass at the Huaraz office of Parque Nacional Huascarán, as well as at the Lagunas de Llanganuco. Be sure to carry a copy of your passport with you.

About 6 km (4 miles) east of downtown Cajamarca are these pleasant hot springs, which flow into public pools and private baths of varying levels of quality, as well as some spa facilities such as a sauna with its attendant massage tables. Each service has a separate price, though everything is quite inexpensive. The central bath, the Pozo del Inca, is where Atahualpa was relaxing when he received news of the conquistadors' arrival in 1532. It's an intact pool with a system of aqueducts built by the Incas and still in use today. Be sure to check out the volcanic pools in the center of the complex, but don't touch! The temperatures can reach 70ºC (160ºF).

Don't forget to bring your swimsuit and a towel.

This branch of Banco BBVA Continental is unlike any financial institution you've been in. Go through the central courtyard and up to the small gallery on the right. Peruse the current exhibition—anything from modern to traditional works of art—while marveling at the wrought-iron window arabesques that hint at the mudéjar style in vogue among Peru's elite in the 18th century.

Continue to the back, taking in the chandeliers, the rococo gold mirrors, and the small fountain, and imagine how, in the main salon, Trujillo's republicans plotted their country's independence from Spain, which was declared here on December 29, 1820.

If you're of a literary bent, pause to muse on the exhibit dedicated to César Vallejo, Peru's greatest poet. Conclude by peeking at the glass case on the left as you leave, which contains the royal charter from King Carlos V authorizing Trujillo's foundation in 1537. Note that the house was closed for repairs as of this writing, but it should reopen late in 2024.

As with many colonial mansions in Trujillo, this 1709 casona is now owned by a bank. Unfortunately, however, Scotiabank—the proprietor—has churlishly elected to close off the building's interior to the public, meaning visitors must rest content with observing the august portal with its scallop-shell crown and the grillwork on the projecting, Lima-style balcony. Still, the colossal edifice hints at the opulence of Trujillo society in its heyday.

A monumental, exquisitely carved wooden door supplies a fitting prelude to this restored neoclassical mansion. First built in the mid-1500s, the house was considered the most splendid in Trujillo and served as a pied-à-terre for mayors, viceroys, and other dignitaries throughout the colonial era. From 1824 to 1826, Simón Bolívar stayed here when not on one of his campaigns, donating the ornate 18th-century desk and a good deal of the silverware that still graces the lavish salons. The mansion was rebuilt in the mid-1800s, taking on the stately contours it exhibits today. Don't miss the fine rococo furniture, or the pre-Columbian ceramics just off one of the interior patios.

The house is owned by Peru's Central Bank; simply inform the guard you'd like to go inside and look around.

Also known as the Iglesia de los Españoles (Church of the Spaniards, owing to the fact that only Spanish colonists worshipped there), this cathedral on the Plaza de Armas was begun in 1682 and never completed. Its ornate baroque facade is sculpted from volcanic rock and crammed with a superabundance of detail: note the Solomonic columns wreathed with grapevines that flank the central doorway, as well as the diamond-point studs higher up. Like the Iglesia de Belén nearby, the cathedral has no belfry; local legend maintains the Spanish Crown levied taxes on completed churches, causing the settlers to leave them unfinished, but it's more likely the builders simply ran out of money.

The first iteration of Piura's cathedral was built on the Plaza de Armas in 1588, but earthquakes and other disasters hammered at it so relentlessly that today almost nothing remains of that original structure. Instead, you'll find a neo-Renaissance basilica that was thoroughly overhauled upon its elevation to cathedral status in 1940. Its chief glory is a churriguresco altarpiece dedicated to the Virgen de Fátima, carved from Nicaraguan cedar and dating to the late 1600s.

The enormous Chiclayo cathedral, dating from 1869, is worth a look for its neoclassical facade on the Plaza de Armas and its well-maintained central altar.

At the end of Calle 2 de Mayo, steps lead to this hilltop mirador, or scenic lookout, where a bird's-eye view of the city awaits. At the top are many carved stones dating from pre-Columbian times.

One of the rocks has the shape of a throne and has been dubbed the Seat of the Inca.

According to local legend, it was here that Inca rulers would sit to review their troops. You'll also find pretty gardens and a maze of winding paths. You can either walk or go by taxi for S/6.

The origins of Cerro Sechín, one of the country's oldest archaeological sites, remain a mystery. Little is known about the culture that built this coastal temple around 1600 BC, but the bas-relief carvings ringing the main sanctuary, some up to 4 meters (13 feet) high, graphically depict triumphant warriors and their conquered, often beheaded enemies. Some researchers have even speculated that this was a center for anatomical study, due to the sheer number of dismembered body parts engraved on the rocks. The site was first excavated in 1937 by the archaeologist J.C. Tello; it has since suffered damage due to looters and natural disasters. Archaeologists are still digging here, so access to the central plaza is not permitted.

A trail leading up a neighboring hill provides good views of the temple complex and the surrounding valley.

A small museum has a good collection of Chavín ceramics and a mummy that was found near Trujillo. To get to the ruins, head southeast from Casma along the Pan-American Highway for about 3 km (2 miles), turning east onto a paved road leading to Huaraz. The ruins sit about 2 km (1¼ miles) past the turnoff.

Begin your archaeological explorations of Trujillo at this small but thorough museum, which has displays of ceramics and textiles from the Chimú Empire. There are also scale models that allow you to see Chan Chan's overall design, as well as interactive computer displays children will enjoy. The entrance fee to the museum includes Chan Chan, Huaca Arco Iris, and Huaca Esmeralda, so hold on to your ticket (you may also go directly to the ruins and purchase the same ticket there, for the same price). If you're looking to tour the sites from Trujillo, take a taxi or join a tour from an agency, as the huacas are widely scattered. Guides are available at the entrance of each site for around S/15 (S/25 for Chan Chan) and are strongly recommended, both for the information they provide and for safety reasons (robberies have been known to occur in the more remote sectors of the ruins). At the museum as well as the huacas, there are clean restrooms and a cluster of souvenir stalls and snack shops, but no place to buy a meal.

Getting to the Chaparrí Reserve on your own can be difficult—it's 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Chiclayo, a little more than an hour's journey—but if you can get a group together or join a tour to this community-owned dry-forest nature preserve, it might just be one of your most memorable experiences in Peru. The 34,412-hectare (85,000-acre) reserve was created to help safeguard rare native species such as the white-winged guan, the Andean condor, and the guanaco (a type of camelid similar in appearance to a llama). Perhaps its most important work, however, is protecting the spectacled bear, for which it has a rescue center that works to reintroduce rehabilitated animals into this last refuge for populations of the species.

While you can visit the reserve anytime from 7 to 5, you'll up your chances of seeing wildlife if you stay overnight in the 12-room Chaparrí Ecolodge ( www.chaparrilodge.com) in the heart of the park. Stays include three daily meals and a guide to the reserve.

Advance booking for day visits and overnight stays is highly recommended, as space is limited and all visitors must be accompanied by a guide.

Built at the start of the 18th century, this sprawling complex, originally a dual hospital for men and women, now houses two of the city's most interesting museums. At the Museo Arqueológico de Cajamarca, exhibits of cajamarquino ceramics and weavings occupy center stage; the pre-Inca Cajamarcans were especially famous for their excellent patterned textiles, which were often dyed vivid shades of blue. Meanwhile, the neighboring Museo Etnográfico has displays of everyday bric-a-brac—including an old saddle and a dilapidated coffee grinder—dating from colonial times. The high point of the complex is the Iglesia de Belén, a striking church whose Andean-baroque facade melds European structural elements with Indigenous symbols and ornamentation. Take a moment to walk around the church's interior: the diamond-stud stonework is one of colonial Cajamarca's architectural signatures.

This pre-Inca site, 16 km (10 miles) southwest of Cajamarca, is surrounded by a large rock outcropping where you'll find petroglyphs left by the ancient Cajamarcans. There are also petroglyph-adorned caves, as well as a 3,000-year-old network of Andean aqueducts. The site, discovered in 1937 by the famous Peruvian archaeologist J.C. Tello, may have been designed to direct the ample water from the mountains into the drier area of Cajamarca, where there was a large reservoir. Amazingly, more than 8 km (5 miles) of the ancient aqueduct are intact today. Guided tours (required) cost around S/35 and take about four hours.

Though people generally come to Huanchaco for the beach, one of Peru's oldest churches, El Santuario de Huanchaco, affords a nice side trip. Originally built on a Chimú ruin around 1540, the church was moved to a hilltop overlooking the village in 1603 to encourage attendance at mass among the local Indigenous inhabitants. Legend holds that the statue of Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Our Lady of Help) housed in the church was being transported to Peru from Spain when, suddenly, a terrible storm struck. The panicked sailors prayed to the Virgin's image, and the waters were miraculously calmed.

Cajamarca is famous for its dairy products, and you can experience this industry up close at this charming farm outside town. In addition to sampling the farm's cheeses and sweet manjar blanco, you can visit an artificial lake and check out Peru's biggest all-clay church. The highlight is the "calling of the cows," in which Rosa, Betsy, and Flor answer to their names as they line up to return to their pens. It's the perfect experience for kids of all ages.

Filled with intriguing symbolic carvings, the restored Huaca Arco Iris, or Rainbow Pyramid, stands out against its urban backdrop. Named for its unusual rainbow ornamentation (the area rarely sees rain), it's also known as the Huaca El Dragón, or Pyramid of the Dragon, because of the central role dragons play in the friezes. This structure, built by the early Chimú sometime around 1100, also has a repeating figure of a mythical creature that looks like a giant serpent. On the walls, mostly reconstructions, you'll see what many archaeologists believe are priests wielding the knives used in human sacrifices. Half-moon shapes at the bottom of most of the friezes possibly indicate the Chimú worshipped the moon at this temple. You can also climb the ramps up to the top of the platform and see the storage bins inside.

Some 8 km (5 miles) north of Huaraz, this small archaeological site contains a Huari mausoleum that may date from as far back as the 6th century AD. Each story of the crumbling three-tiered structure has several rooms; the edifice as a whole resembles the much larger temple at Chavín de Huántar. There are also a small museum, basic bathrooms, and a limited restaurant. Some 800 meters (2,600 feet) southeast is the complex of Ichic Huilcahuaín, which comprises 15 chullpas, small towers used as tombs for the elite, that likely date from around AD 700. You can reach both sites by taking a bus from the corner of Jirón 13 de Diciembre and Jirón Cajamarca in Huaraz.