Trujillo

Trujillo is a large coastal city in northwestern Peru, in the La Libertad region. The city consists of a colonial core with churches and plazas, surrounded by modern residential neighborhoods, industrial zones, and sugarcane fields stretching toward the Pacific shore.

Diego de Almagro founded the settlement in 1534 on behalf of the Spanish crown. Over the centuries it developed into a trade center for sugarcane and later became the capital of the coastal La Libertad region.

The name honors Trujillo in Extremadura, birthplace of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Visitors today see wrought-iron window grilles and wooden balconies on colonial-era houses in the historic center, while flat-roofed residential blocks and open-air markets define everyday life in the outer neighborhoods.

An international airport connects the city with Lima, while intercity buses run along the Pan-American Highway north and south. The center is easily walkable, though reaching archaeological sites outside the city requires a taxi or minibus.

About 6 kilometers (4 miles) outside stands Chan Chan, a sprawling adobe city from pre-Columbian times. Its walls display geometric reliefs of fish and birds, now partly sheltered from wind and rain by modern roofing.

Location: La Libertad Department

Inception: March 5, 1535

Founders: Diego de Almagro

Elevation above the sea: 34 m

GPS coordinates: -8.11168,-79.02877

Latest update: December 15, 2025 02:30