Sea reliefs
Fish, birds and waves.
Draceane — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Draceane — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Draceane — CC BY-SA 4.0
Capital of the Chimor kingdom, which ruled Peru's north coast from about 900 until the Incas conquered it around 1470, and often described as the largest adobe city in the Americas. It spread over some twenty square kilometres of dry coastal desert, and UNESCO listed it as World Heritage in 1986. The city is made up of huge royal compounds, or «citadels», enclosed by high mud walls and holding plazas, storerooms and maze-like passages. The compound open to visitors is known as Tschudi, and its walls are covered in fine clay reliefs of fish, seabirds and waves, reflecting this people's bond with the nearby ocean. You walk through passages between walls, some over eight metres high, under modern roofs that protect the reliefs from the rare El Niño rains, which threaten this ancient mud more than anything else. The site museum nearby has maps and models explaining the shape of the whole city. The sun is strong and shade scarce, so bring a hat and water. Hiring a guide at the entrance helps to read the symbols. Tours usually combine Chan Chan with the Rainbow Temple, the Temple of the Moon and Huanchaco beach in one day.
Fish, birds and waves.
Over eight metres high.
A model of the whole city.
Trujillo-Huanchaco road, about 5 km west of central Trujillo, northern Peru
Per visitor guides, it covers the Tschudi compound, the site museum and the Arco Iris and Esmeralda temples, so keep it, as the two temples are in separate spots within Trujillo.