Explore North
Regions of Northern Peru:
Northern Coast
Northern Sierra
Central Sierra
San Martín
Peruvian Amazon
Destinations and highlights of Northern Peru:
- Máncora - is a small beachtown smacked on the PanAmericana at the Peruvian Northern coast. During holidays, peruvians come all the way from Lima to spend their holidays at the beach. It turns into a real partytown with an overcrowded beach and bars competing for the loudest music day and night.
- Huanchaco - is a village on the northern coast of Peru famous for its surfing and the local fishermen's "caballitos". It is a place to relax after visiting Trujillo's colonial centre & archaeological sites. It´s got a nice mellow beach vibe, lots of places to sleep and eat and is just 20 minutes by bus from Trujillo's centre.
- Huaraz - stands tall at 3100m; travellers from Lima might need a day or two to acclimatize to the change in atmosphere. July is a good time to visit the region; the temperature is perfect for walking and the sky is free from clouds / rain. It's also a good time as the July period has many of Peru's annual event celebration dates. The town puts on a tremendous night of entertainment each year for most of the days, featuring live music and more. Well worth a look if you are in the region.
- Oxapampa - is the perfect place to visit, partway between the Andes and the Amazon it is a lush region of rolling hills and abounding greenery.
- Gocta National Reserve - is proposed near Cocachimba & San Pablo, in the Peruvian Amazon. La catarata Gocta, known locally as La Chorrera, is the world's 3rd highest waterfall (771m) (after Angel Falls (Venezuela 972m) & Tugela Falls (South Africa 948m)). Although there is some debate regarding the measuremant method. Legends relating to the curse of a beautiful blonde siren helped by a giant serpent protect a gold vase; & the local Juan Mendoza who disappeared enchanted by the rocks behind the waterfall.
- Huascarán National Park - Huascarán National Park is a high mountain park in Cordillera Blanca range of Peru. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Río Abiseo National Park - is located in the San Martín department of Peru. UNESCO pronounced it as Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity (World Heritage Site) in 1990. The park is home to a large number of species of flora and fauna, as well as the location of over 30 pre-Columbian archaeological sites. Since 1986, the park has not been open to tourism due to the fragile nature of both the natural and archaeological environment.
- Chan Chan - Located 5km east of the city proper, Chan Chan is an impressive set of ruins of an ancient Chimor mud city, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Chavín de Huántar - Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological site from the pre-Incan Chavin culture of around 900BC containing ruins and other artefacts. The site is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
