Peru - Northern Coast

After our trek in the Cordillera Blanca we headed to the northern coast of Peru. We went to the little fishing and surfing village of Huanchaco just a bit north of Trujillo.

This village is famous for its narrow pointed fishing rafts made out of reeds.






Here a fisherman is fixing his net and getting it ready for another cast..


Some dogs taking it easy with a nap on the beach.


The fishermen head out to check their nets….


…and returning again with the catch. They can ride these rafts similar to a surfboard.


They caught quite a few fish…


… and crabs.


We are enjoying some of that fresh fish as ceviche.




I surfed in Lima with Alberto and wanted to try out my skills again in Huanchaco. Here I caught a wave… but it does not look like I am making it for too long.


Now the form is a bit better; but it’s not a real wave and rather just whitewash but still fun.


Just south of Huanchaco are the ruins of Chan Chan; the largest adobe city in the world. The Chimu culture lasted for about 600 years from 850 A.D. to 1470, until the Incas conquered them.




After Huanchaco we went further north up the coast to Chicama. I (being the expert surfer after 4 times surfing:-)) wanted to check out the longest wave in the world. When the swell is right you can surf this wave for more than 2 km and the ride would take several minutes.


A surfer dude watching the waves and dreaming of the long ride.


This is the point where it starts breaking and you are supposed to catch it. It’s a bit tricky to get out there with rock scrambling and such. And as soon as you are in the water you have to constantly paddle to not get carried away by the current.




Me sitting on the beach and pretending that I know what I am doing.
I actually never properly caught a wave during the one day I was out there; it’s just not a place for beginners. The strong current does not help and just when I think I am at the right spot, I turn around and get pounded again by a set of big waves.
Anyway… at least I can now say I got my butt whooped by the longest wave in the world.


A nice crab Jaya found on the beach.


One of the common modes of transportation in Peru for the shorter distances.


After Chicama we went to Chiclayo. This is the cathedral in the centre of Chiclayo.


There we visited the Lord of Sipan museum. The exhibit contains the things that were found in the tomb of the Lord of Sipan. This was a king of the great Moche civilization that was located in northern Peru from about AD 100 to AD 800. They are particularly noted for their elaborate painted ceramics, gold work, and irrigation systems.


As usual we went to the large outdoor markets.


Jaya buying Chiramoyas at the market.


The last stop for us in Peru was the surfing town of Mancora. Unfortunately the surf was not really existent the day I was trying to head out, but we had a good time nonetheless.


A far cry from the reed boats in Huanchaco are these rafts.


But they still get the job done.


The sun is setting...


... and some surfers are enjoying a ride into the sunset.



And here again our route:
Best online maps are found under this link: http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=-18.39623%7E-61.523438&style=r&lvl=3&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&cid=2CF1823075161E3B%21106&encType=1 or check the simple Google map below. (yellow marker indicates current location and blue is what is covered in the blog)