Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Trujillo is well connected to the rest of the country, but by far the easiest way to get here is to fly. Lan (tel. 01/213-8200; www.lan.com), AeroCondor (tel. 01/614-6014; www.aerocondor.com.pe), and Star Peru (tel. 01/705-9000; www.starperu.com) fly daily to Trujillo from Lima (1 hr.). Flights arrive at the Aeropuerto Carlos Martínez de Pinillos on Carretera Huanchaco in the Huanchaco district (tel. 044/464-013). The airport is about 20 minutes northwest of downtown.

A taxi to downtown Trujillo costs as little as S/15 ($4.95/£2.55) if you bargain, although most drivers start by charging S/20 ($6.60/£3.40). Huanchaco-Trujillo buses and colectivos pass in the general direction of the airport, but at a distance of about a mile from the entrance, making public transportation to and from the airport impractical for anyone with luggage.

By Bus -- Like most big cities, Trujillo is serviced by several domestic bus companies from Lima and most major points along the north coast and northern highlands. Many long-distance buses travel at night only. There is no central bus station in Trujillo. Most individual company terminals are near downtown, located to the northwest by the Estadio Mansiche, to the southwest near Av. España, or to the east near Av. El Ejército.

The major companies making the 8-hour trip from Lima are Ormeño (tel. 01/472-1710; www.grupo-ormeno.com.pe), Cruz del Sur (tel. 01/311-5050; www.cruzdelsur.com.pe), and Oltursa (tel. 01/225-4499; www.oltursa.com.pe). For the 6-hour trip from Cajamarca, Transportes Línea (tel. 044/286-538 in Trujillo, or 076/823-956 in Cajamarca; www.transporteslinea.com.pe) has two classes of service, económico and especial, which is slightly faster, a bit more comfortable, and a tad more expensive than económico class. Transportes Línea (tel. 074/233-497) is also the major company for the 3-hour journey from Chiclayo and the 8-hour journey from Huaraz. ITTSA (tel. 044/222-541) runs from Lima, Chiclayo, and Piura. Note that night buses especially have a reputation for being unsafe. In Trujillo, Ormeño is at Av. Ejército 342, Cruz del Sur at Amazonas 437, Línea at Av. América Sur 2857, and ITTSA at Mansiche 145.

Visitor Information

The iPerú offices are located at the airport (tel. 044/464-226) and downtown at Jr. Pizarro 412, on the Plaza Mayor (tel. 044/294-561); the downtown office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm. A small and friendly (although not very well equipped) tourist information office belonging to the Cámara Regional de La Libertad is located at Independencia 628, 1 block north of the Plaza de Armas (tel. 044/938-922). The office is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm. It has free maps, and the staff can advise you on the easiest way to visit Chan Chan and the other major archaeological sites beyond the city.

Fast Facts -- Banks that exchange traveler's checks and cash and that have ATMs are Banco de Crédito, Jr. Gamarra 562 (tel. 044/242-360); Banco Latino, Jr. Gamarra 572 (tel. 044/243-461); and Banco Continental, Pizarro 620, in the colonial Casa de la Emancipación. Interbanc, located at Pizarro and Gamarra, has a Cirrus/PLUS ATM. Money-changers can usually be found hanging about the Plaza de Armas or along Gamarra.

In case of emergency, call tel. 105. The helpful tourist police are located at Independencia 630, in the Casa Ganoza Chopitea (tel. 044/291-705). For complaints, you can also call the Tourist Protection Service at tel. 044/204-146.

If you need medical attention, you're likely to find English-speaking doctors at Clínica Peruana-Americana, Av. Mansiche 702 (tel. 044/231-261). Other hospitals are Hospital Regional Docente de Trujillo, Av. Mansiche 795 (tel. 044/231-581), and Hospital Belén, Bolívar 350 (tel. 044/245-281). In Huanchaco, a clinic (posta médica) is located at Atahualpa 437 (tel. 044/461-547).

For Internet access, two cabinas to try are Cibercafé Internet, Manuel María Izaga 716 (tel. 044/228-729), and Deltanet/Telecom, Orbegoso 641 (tel. 044/294-327). Both charge about S/2 to S/2.50 (70¢-85¢/35p-40p) per hour.

Trujillo's post office is at Independencia 286 (tel. 044/245-941). A DHL/Western Union branch is at Almagro 579 (tel. 044/203-686). The Telefónica del Perú office is at Pizarro 561. A locutorio (public calling place) is located at Gamarra 454.

Catch Some Ondas -- If you want to check out some waves along Peru's north coast, check the "Spot Atlas" at www.wannasurf.com. If you can read Spanish, another good surfing site is www.peruazul.com.

Getting Around

Downtown Trujillo is a grid of relatively short blocks ringed by Av. España. At the heart of the centro is the Plaza de Armas, and the main sights are all nearby on the major streets leading off the square. Getting around the small centro is thus best managed on foot. However, you'll need to take either a taxi or a public bus to visit the major archaeological sites outside Trujillo, or the beachside suburb, Huanchaco.

Confusing as can be are Trujillo's street names: Nearly every street and avenue has two names and two corresponding signs, one a smaller printed version and the other a fancier painted sign. Most maps go by the smaller, printed name, which is what I give.

Several urbanizaciones, or residential districts, lie just beyond Av. España. Urbanización El Recreo, where several resort-style hotels are located, is just west of Av. 28 de Julio. Chan Chan is just 5km (3 miles) northwest of the city, on the way to the airport and Huanchaco. The Huacas de Moche are 8km (5 miles) south of town beyond the Carretera Industrial.

By Taxi -- Taxis are plentiful in Trujillo. Most in-town fares, inside the Av. España ring, are about S/3 ($1/50p). A taxi ride to Chan Chan or Huanchaco costs about S/15 ($4.95/£2.50). You can hire taxis by the hour (S/15 or $4.95/£2.55) or by the day S/90 to S/125 ($30-$42/£15-£21) to tour archaeological sites in the environs. Be sure to negotiate or ask first in the tourist office to determine the fare.

By Bus -- Combis and ómnibuses cost S/1 (35¢/20p). Somewhat rickety buses will take you to Huanchaco for S/3 ($1/50p).

By Car -- If you want to rent a vehicle to make trips to Chan Chan and other sites, or even to travel around the northern region, try Global Car Rental, Ecuador 122, of. 201, Urbanización El Recreo (tel. 044/295-548).

Guided Tours -- Agencies offering standard city and archaeological tours include Guía Tours, Jr. Independencia 580 (tel. 044/245-170); Chacón Tours, Av. España 106 (tel. 044/255-212); Consorcio Turístico del Norte, Jr. Pizarro 478 (tel. 044/205-645); and Trujillo Tours, Diego de Almagro 301 (tel. 044/233-091). Most standard tours cost S/45 to S/60 ($15-$20/£7.65-£10) per person. Tours to El Brujo are generally S/90 to S/120 ($30-$40/£15-£20).