The little visited northern areas of Peru are notable for their unique cultural and archaeological highlights, these ancient sites and the nearby colonial towns provide a fascinating insight into the country’s pre-Inca heritage and tempestuous colonial history. From the bustling city of Trujillo, with its spacious plaza and colonial houses, explore the pre-Inca city of Chan Chan. The largest adobe city in the world and once capital of the Chimu empire, you will find the remains of their palaces, temples and gardens.
Travelling through the desert there is the chance to stop at the Huaca El Brujo where current restoration is revealing walls moulded with colourful images of armies and giant spiders, and visit Chiclayo and the nearby royal tombs of the Moche culture, which thrived from about 200-600AD. Here the Lord of Sipan was discovered in a tomb filled with treasure, his remains are now in the nearby Brunning Archeological Museum. Away from the coast, in a pretty, mountainous setting, lies the historic town of Cajamarca which is famed for its graceful colonial architecture. The more adventurous could also fly to Chachapoyas for an off-the-beaten-track journey to the enormous unrestored ruin of Kuelap.