Bosque de Pómac Historic Sanctuary

About this place

A historic sanctuary combining two rare things: a dense dry forest of twisted carob trees in the heart of the coastal desert, and dozens of ancient mud pyramids hidden among the trees. It holds 36 pyramids of the Sicán culture, which flourished here about a thousand years ago, and its excavations revealed famous golden treasures. You follow sandy tracks among the trees until the pyramids suddenly appear as huge brown hills, the best known being the Las Ventanas group. Along the way is a giant carob tree people call the «Millennial Tree», its heavy branches spreading along the ground in strange shapes. The forest is home to many birds, including small burrowing owls living in holes in the ground, hummingbirds and the Peruvian thick-knee. From a raised lookout you see a sea of green trees with pyramid tops rising from it to the horizon. Distances inside the sanctuary are long, so a car, bike or tour is best, and early morning or late afternoon suits the heat and the birdwatching. Bring plenty of water.