Northern Peru

Between the Pacific Ocean, the desert, the Andes and the Amazon, northern Peru boasts an astonishing diversity. Warm beaches, millennia-old cultures, colonial towns, waterfalls and cloud forests are often just a few travel legs apart.

A North with Many Faces

Northern Peru stretches from the warm beaches near Ecuador to the cool Andes and the green mountains of the Amazon region.

Those who only know Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu will experience a different Peru here. Along the coast lie significant remnants of the Moche and Chimú cultures. In the highlands await Cajamarca and vast Andean valleys. Around Chachapoyas, paths lead to Kuélap, Gocta, and into the cloud forest. Piura combines the Pacific Ocean, dry forest, craftsmanship, and regional cuisine.

Where would you like to start?

Four landscapes give you a quick introduction to northern Peru. Choose the area that suits your trip.

Coast

Pacific Ocean, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Chan Chan, Huanchaco, archaeology and warm northern beaches.

Highlands

Cajamarca, Andean valleys, colonial architecture, hot springs and mountain landscapes.

Green Northern Peru

Chachapoyas, Kuélap, Gocta, cloud forest, waterfalls and the Amazon Andes.

Piura Region

Piura, Catacaos, Máncora, Cabo Blanco, dry forest, cuisine and crafts.

The North can do beaches. But it doesn't just lie around on the beach.

Máncora, Los Órganos, Vichayito, Colán and Cabo Blanco bring sunshine and the Pacific. A few stages later, desert landscapes, pyramids, colonial towns, the Andes and green canyons dominate the scenery.

Coast: Pacific, Cities and Archaeology

The northern Peruvian coast is warm, dry, and shaped by the Pacific Ocean. Chiclayo, Lambayeque, Trujillo, Huanchaco, and Chan Chan are located here.

Archaeological sites, museums, and ancient mud-brick cities tell the story of cultures that predated the Incas by a long time. There are also markets, coastal cuisine, fishing villages, and long beaches.

More about the northern Peruvian coast

Highlands: Cajamarca and the Andes

In the highlands, the air grows cooler, the landscape more mountainous, and the pace of travel more leisurely. Cajamarca combines colonial architecture, Inca history, hot springs, and lush Andean valleys.

Learn more about the northern Peruvian highlands

Green Northern Peru: Chachapoyas, Kuélap and Gocta

Around Chachapoyas, northern Peru becomes wetter, greener and spectacularly mountainous. Cloud forest, deep valleys and waterfalls characterize the Amazonian Andes.

Kuélap is one of the most important sites of the Chachapoya culture. Gocta leads right into a landscape that has little in common with the dry Pacific coast.

More about green northern Peru

Piura Region: Sea, Dry Forest, and Cuisine

Piura is much more than a stopover on the way to Máncora. The region extends from the hot city of Piura via Catacaos to the beaches on the Pacific coast.

Ceviche, Seco de Chavelo, Chicherías, Toquilla hats and silver filigree are just as much a part of it as dry forest, fishing villages and seaside resorts.

More about the Piura region