Huanchaco.
Your next chapter?

Overview

Huanchaco is a city on the northern coast of Peru, 20 minutes by bus from Trujillo's centre.

Understand

Huanchaco is 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 has a nice mellow beach vibe and lots of places to sleep and eat.

While Peru's northern beaches are supposedly marvellous during the coastal summer (December–March), the winter brings cloudy days. Wetsuits mean that you can surf even during coastal winters, but during the months of June–September, be prepared to wear long sleeves in the evenings, and don't expect sunny days.

Get in

The long distance bus terminals are all in Trujillo. Taxi drivers prefer to persuade tourists to come to Huanchaco, as there are more opportunities to overcharge from the Trujillo bus terminals, & obtain return trips. For surfers, buses leave Trujillo's Santa Cruz terminal for Puerto Malabrigo (Chicama) every 2 hours. 'Transportes Linea' have the most frequent buses to Pacasmayo, & 'Ormeño' (& others near Ormeño) are the most frequent to Mancora.

The airport is between Trujillo and Huanchaco. Huanchaco is outside of Trujillo, which is 560 km north of Lima. Flying into Lima leaves one with two options on how to get to Trujillo.

See

"El Muelle", or the pier, is a landmark of Huanchaco. This steel pier was constructed in 1891, it is 108 m long. It was purchased by Victor Larco in 1902. Due to an economic boom in Huanchaco in 1914, the pier finally became property of the state in 1923. The second oldest church in Peru (1535-1540) overlooks the pier & bay. Every day fishermen use their "Caballitos de totora", reedboats shown in ceramics that date from 500 BCE. Colonial Trujillo which was built between four Chimú archaeological sites. Go watch a local pickup game of soccer in Cancha Naranja, or other canchas around the village. Experience a real Latin American market with fish flopping around, then being butchered right in front of you. This market place is known as "mercado".

Swamps of Huanchaco. Ecological Chimu reserve.

Do

Learn Spanish: the town has several Spanish teachers. Most of them have adverts placed around the town (often on lamp posts, or in local businesses - e.g. Most charge S/15-30 per hour. Some also offer lessons by viceo chat for after you go home. Manuel's Language School offers private (S/18 per hour) and group lessons. Offers package discounts. WhatsApp : + 51948824902 Learn to surf, or just watch others. Swimming can be difficult, however, as the waters are very rocky. There are surf shops nearby where one can easily rent a surfboard. Taking a ride in the Caballito de Tortora is another fun activity. Since Huanchaco has plenty of fisherman, there are plenty of Caballitos (traditional Peruvian fishing boats made of reed). When riding on these boats one experience the feeling of riding a little horse made of reeds. Photography is something many do while visiting Huanchaco. There are many things to photograph such as the sea, the old wharf, the fisherman in their caballitos, and the old urban zone that is full of history. The road from Huanchaco past Chan Chan continues to Colonial Trujillo. Another essential thing to do would be to see the Moche Pyramids of El Brujo, Huaca del Sol & Huaca de La Luna. Visit Trujillo's colonial centre

Moche Pyramids. The best conservation project in Latin America in 2006.

You may choose to go with an accredited guide, or French, Dutch and German people who also work as guides, etc. Beware of bricheros, who are professional tourist parasites. Do not lend people money - you're unlikely to get it back.

Volunteer Many local volunteer opportunities are available. Street Kids in Peru (in trujillo) helps the homeless to finish their primary & secondary education. The Otra Cosa Network do projects from English teaching to helping at an orphanage. Or if you are willing to stay for six months to one year, LaCasaCorazon is a laid-back, long term, relationship building community whose two five-year plan projects include building an alternative school.

Buy

The artisans/vendors sitting by and around the pier sell many trinkets that are native to Peru. One can usually buy a keychain for 30 cents. The workers in these artisan stands are bargainers. They are usually willing to negotiate lower prices, so practice your bargaining skills! These locals of Huanchaco primarily shop for food at the local Mercado. It's a marketplace full of different stands, each vendor offers a little something different to sell and have their own prices. To buy clothing, one would most likely travel to Trujillo. There are not many clothing stores in Huanchaco. The little shops are mostly targeted for tourists. Also cool to buy are the fair trade postcards of Fairmail. These photo cards are made by local underprivileged teenagers who get half of the earnings to finance their education. Check for selling points. If you want to mail postcards without going all the way into Trujillo, there is a tiny Serpost post office on the north side of the dirt alleyway called Manco Capac a half block from the beach, between Union and Atahualpa.

LaCasaCorazon. Alternative, laid-back, relationship-building volunteer community. The two projects underway include a five-year plan for a school.

Eat

There is much delicious food to taste in Huanchaco and other parts of northern Peru. The dishes are mainly fish or seafood and are more expensive than Trujillo, from where it is supplied. A tourist will most likely find himself enjoying the local culture while becoming quite familiar with restaurants in front of the ocean and in the ancient zone. Like most Latin cultures, the Peruvians find eating to be an important part of the day. The best time to go to eat would be around 13:00 for "almuerzo", the dinner/lunch.

Ah Gusto. It's a small place, with friendly staff, offering straightforward food- pizza, pasta, chorizo etc. If you don't like the food, you don't pay!

La Barca. Seafood is their specialty. They have nice ceviche! They also serve an exclusive, specialty (and impressive!) dish called "pescado a La Barca" which is a whole fish stuffed with king prawns, calamari, and other shellfish, served with a special house sauce. The restaurant itself is built with a gallery-style layout using lots of wood, creating a maritime atmosphere. They have a good selection of wines, drinks, and beers, with both promotional (less expensive) and "carta especial" (more expensive) menus.

Big Ben. This is a white tablecloth, upper class restaurant. This restaurant is visited frequently by the president of Peru. He claims it is his favorite place to eat. There are many traditional dishes served here such as chicharrones, ceviche, and tiratido.

La Casa Suiza. Best pizza in town, with homemade dough and tomato sauce. The crust is actually like pizza crust! They also make their own European-style crusty dark bread, although they are generally reluctant to sell it to-go. This is also a good hostel to go to if you are on a budget. Free Internet. Dorm from S/15, comfortable double with bath, from S/40. Breakfast not included, but moderately priced.

Casa Tere. Decent pizza, but it's expensive for Huanchaco (S/26-34 for a grande).

Chocolate Café. European fusion. Excellent coffee/tea, breakfasts, lunches (mostly sandwiches), and desserts. Organic products are used where available, high quality food. Run by a family who are involved in improving the community. Prices are reasonable for the area.)

Club Colonial. This is a rather elegant cafe-restaurant with a terrasse, one can spend a nice evening here or drop in for a cup of cafe. It also serves meals that are a mix of European and Peruvian cuisine.

Estrella Marina. Long established and recommended restaurant has ceviche and other typical seafood on the balcony with the best view over the bay and its reed boats.

El Generoso. They have something called a burrito. It's not really a burrito, but a nice change when you're sick of rice and fish. It has cheese/ham/mushrooms inside a tortilla. Also their jugo surtido is cold and yummy. They have burgers and sandwiches that are pretty good as well. Their chimichurry topping going great with the burgers.

Happy Days. Great coffee and desserts. Owned by an American and his Peruvian wife they serve up some amazing pizza (huge servings). It has a great view and exceptional service. The chocolate cake is moist and rich. It is about S/30 for the biggest pizza.

My Friend. In the hostel of the same name. Said to have the biggest burgers in the world! Or at least in Huanchaco. They also have a constant spaghetti special for S/10. It comes with garlic bread and a soda. Toppings and different sauces available for the spaghetti. They also have smoothies, omelettes, and waffles with fruit. They ask for tips here, since it's mostly all gringos that eat here. The service is way better at night.

Nameless Burger Joint. Serves up burgers a la Peruvian north coast and is one of the cheapest meals you can grab in Huanchaco.

Nameless Local Restaurant. They have a daily S/5 special. They close down once all their food runs out, so it's best to get there before 15:00. The earlier you get there, the more options available. Try the sopa de pollo for entrada and the pescado sudado (frecsa, not fried) for the main course. It comes with some type of bean or lentil or pea, always changing. Sometimes you get a free drink too. Like mango apple juice or Inca cola. Their ceviche is very good as well.

Otra Cosa. A vegetarian place. Their falafel is the best. Only S/7 for the small and S/11 for the large. They have pancakes, shakes, muesli with fruit and yogurt, yummy. Organic, fair-trade products, they donate their tips to local charities, fresh baked pies, DVDs to watch (free), book exchange, Internet, right on the beach, English-speaking employees and owner and you can take Spanish lessons there. Just ask for Sam, who usually teaches Spanish there and gives his classes in the restaurant, so you can order a coffee while you're studying. The Otra Cosa restaurant is linked to a volunteer organisation of the same name and can provide information about the program. There are also rooms to let with breakfast included.

Polleria La Barra. It's a yellow building with outdoor eating. S/9 for a quarter chicken, fries, and some salad, which can be split between 2 hungry people. S/2 for a half-litre of chicha de morada maiz, like Kool-Aid with a kick.

Tramboyo Restaurant. Seafood restaurant. Nice service and ceviche and special paella.

Drink

There are plenty of little bars along the main road leading into Huanchaco. El Boqueron, serves cervezas among other drinks. El Malecon, another bar found on the main road leading into Huanchaco. Club Colonial, also a restaurant, has one of the best terrasses in Huanchaco, in front of the beach on Avenida la Rivera. Sabes Bar Bar, music, pizza, pool table on balcony over-looking the sea, fresh coffee, open every night at 20:00. Sabes? (large green neon question mark outside) is on the main strip of Huanchaco. Owned by a friendly Peruvian - English couple. Popular spot for tourists.

Sleep

The hotel prices are generally much more economical than a similar room in a similar hotel in nearby Trujillo. This makes Huanchaco a good place to stay, particularly if you plan to stay a few days to explore the zone.

Huankarute, right in front of the beach. Single, double and triple rooms with inside or ocean view are available, all of them grant you access to the swimming pool, game room and Wi-Fi connection. American breakfast is included and some guest rooms have Jacuzzi tubs. Take advantage of special prices during low seasons and discounts on more than two-days stays. 233 La Ribera Ave. Naylamp, at the north end of the beach. Camping, dorm, singles, doubles, triples with bathrooms. Double bed with private bathroom for S/30 (bargaining possible) low season. Really nice garden, hammocks, two dogs, two tortoises, internet (S/2 per hour), kitchen use, friendly staff, restaurant, clean. Right on the beach. Hostal Bracamonte, A couple of blocks back from the shore. There is a swimming pool, Game room with ping pong table and football table. There is a play area for infants and toddlers, with swings, slide and jungle gym. An outdoor barbecue, gives the people staying in the hotel a time to get together, eat and talk. Secure hotel parking is available. A van is available for tours and transport to the airport or bus station. A great restaurant and bar inside.This 3-star hotel is run by the Bracamonte family; they make you feel right at home. My Friend Surf Hostal Los Pinos 553. This is a hotel-restaurant hostel that has low-priced breakfast. Las Brisas, 120 Ricardo Palma. Wi-Fi good. Hot water sometimes. The staff doesn't seem to speak English at all, but with non-Spanish speakers will get by. You can pay with Visa. You can get a double or matrimonial room with private bathroom for S/50 a night in peak season. Hostal McCallum, Los Ficus 305. Run by Patricia and Manuel McCallum, this is a great option for those looking for a balance between peace and quiet and a social atmosphere. 4 blocks from the beach. Rooms S/15-40 a night for a private room with hot water and Wi-Fi, depending on when and how long you stay. Wachaque Surf Hostal, Calle Los Helechos 640. New hostel/hotel with all new rooms, beds, facilities etc. Short walk to the beach and restaurants along Los Pinos and the waterfront. Roof top terrace and communal kitchen available on the top floor. Wifi and breakfast included. The helpful staff can arrange surfboards, tours and transport back to Trujillo. Dorms from S/25, doubles from S/40.

Un Lugar Surf School. Run by a local surf legend, it is the perfect place to unwind. The environment is very casual and has a pirate/beach theme. Rooms go for S/15 a night. You can get surf classes, including photos. Pickup/drop off service can also be arranged.

Huanchaco Paradise. waterfront accommodation, self contained apartments