The Best of Peru’s North Coast

Old Trujillo City Tour [1]: After seeing Trujillo’s Spanish homes and churches, there is no better way to soak in colonial elegance than having a drink on the Plaza de Armas at the bar of the stately Libertador Trujillo Hotel.

Museo Cassinelli [2]: The best collection of ceramics in Peru, including erotic Moche pieces, is housed in this odd but worthwhile museum in the basement of a Mobil gas station in Trujillo.

Huaca de la Luna [3]: This 10-story adobe pyramid is an impressive monument to the Moche culture with recently uncovered murals of Ai-Apaec, the decapitator god, and commanding views of Trujillo and the surrounding valley.

Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán [4]: This museum outside of Chiclayo is dedicated to the dazzling objects found in 1987 inside of a series of royal Moche tombs, which recall the splendor of King Tut’s tombs in Egypt.

Museo Sicán [5]: Chiclayo’s other must-see, modern museum contains an elaborate reconstruction of a royal Sicán tomb excavated in 1991, which contained 20 sacrificed women, two huge golden arms, and nearly a ton of metal objects.

Máncora [6]: What was once a small fishing town has become a surfing mecca, with a stunning coastline that attracts wave-riders from around the world.