Peru Tourist

Province of Huancabamba

Las Huaringas Lakes (3957 masl / 12982 fasl)
The route is 27 km / 17 miles from Huancabamba town to the village of Salala (2 hours and 30 minutes). It is another 15 km / 9 miles by horseback or walking to Lake Shimbe or Black Lake (2,5 to 3 hours).
There are fourteen lakes famous for their medicinal properties. The main one, The Black or Huaringa Lake (which means “lake of the Inca”) gives the area its name and is the favorite of the majority of shamans.

The so called Lake Shimbe or Siviricuche (Turquoise Lake) is the largest and the only one where fishing is allowed. In addition to those mentioned above, there is another group of seven. The climate is chilly and so is the water. The representative flora around the countryside is bunch grass, chilhuas, tortora reeds, and bushes like the vilco and the quinahuiro.

Sitan Waterfall
5 km / 3 miles from the city of Sondor (30 minutes by car)
It is located in the Curlata Gorge (2600 masl / 8530 fasl) and falls 25 meters / 82 feet. It is recommended that you visit it during the low water time.

Temple of the Jaguars
19 km / 12 miles from Huancabamba (1 hour by car) in the District of Sondorillo
Built in the 1200 A.D. to worship the jaguar, there is a pair of jaguars carved into the rock that catches the eye around which have been built altars for the ritual offerings. When the Incas conquered the area, in the middle of the fifteenth century, they imposed their sun worship here and for that reason, the original structure is covered in red clay.

Province of Talara

Los Organos Beach
175 km / 109 miles north of Piura (2 hours by car) at kilometer marker 1152 of the Pan-American Highway North

This large, wide beach is located at the foot of the Peña Mala hill. There are small groves of carob trees and a dock for the professional fishermen.

Mancora Beach Resort
187 km / 116 miles from Piura (2 hours by car) at kilometer marker 1164 of the Pan-American Highway North
Because of the warm water and radiant weather, this resort is considered to be one of the most important on the Peruvian coast. The waves make for perfect surfing and body boarding. The beach, located between the Fernandez (Mancora) and Cunulsa Breakers, is wide and features small wells depending on the amount of sea water infiltrating the area. Mancora has hostels, restaurants, surf shops, and handicraft stores.

Barro Pool
Northeast of Mancora (30 minutes by motorcycle-taxi, 2 hours by horse, 1 hour by bicycle, or 4 hours on foot)
A natural, hot water pool that has curative properties.

The Fernandez Breaker Pillars
West of the Barro Pool (1 hour and 30 minutes on foot from the village of Fernandez)
It contains three natural swimming pools, separated by small water falls. The place is popular with camping and nature lovers.

Cabo Blanco Beach
3 km / 2 miles from the District of El Alto (5 minutes by car) and 153 km / 95 miles north of Piura (2 hours and 15 minutes by car)
It is considered a marine paradise thanks to the wealth of plankton that feed a variety of fish, among these being the sword fish and the marlin. It is ideal for fishing, scuba diving, and surfing.

Punta Balcones
1 km / 0,6 miles from the city of Negritos, passing the San Pedro fishermen’s cove
This is a crescent shaped beach with crystal clear water and excellent waves just right for water sports like surfing and fishing. It is the home to fur seals of all sizes who make their dens in the rocks.

Customs Building
Avenida de la Merced de Paita
It is an old colonial and republican building from the nineteenth century that now is property of the National Customs Superintendency.

Manuela Saenz House
Jiron Nuevo del Pozo 390, Paita
It is considered to be the historic home of Manuelita Saenz, the woman who captured the Liberator, Simon Bolivar’s, heart.

Colan Beach
65 km / 40 miles west of Piura (55 minutes by car) or 15 km / 9 miles from Paita (10 minutes by car)
A sandy beach with calm, warm water. The resort is characterized by its wooden houses with stone terraces that are situated on pylons. From the balconies, it is said that you can watch the best sunsets on the Peruvian coast.

San Lucas of Colan Church
18.5 km / 11 miles from Paita, District of Pueblo Nuevo de Colan (20 minutes by car)
This Baroque church dates from the sixteenth century. It is thought to be the first church built in the South Pacific; it possesses important artistic treasures. Today, it is recognized as a National Historic Monument.

Yacila Beach
17 km / 11 miles south of Paita (25 minutes by car)
A small, sandy beach that is ideal for swimming.

Te para Dos (tea for two) Beach
1 km / 0,6 from Yacila Beach (15 minutes on foot)
The place to be for peace and quiet.

Cangrejos Beach
2 km / 1,2 miles from Yacila Beach (30 minutes on foot)
Small and sandy with calm waters. It is perfect for swimming and water sports.

Las Gaviotas Beach
14.5 km / 9 miles from Paita (10 minutes by car)
Sandy and very flat with calm, warm waters. It is surrounded by rocky hills.

Miramar Cove
39 km / 24 miles north of Paita in the District of Vichayal (25 minutes by car)
Town that is known for its peculiar wind mills that were constructed by the inhabitants to pump the river water and irrigate their crops.

La Islilla Cove
22 km / 14 miles south of Paita (30 minutes by car)
This cove faces the guano island, Foca Island, which gathers a huge population of fur seals, guano birds, and penguins, and includes the beaches, La Lagunas, Hermosa, and Las Gramitas.

Las Gramitas Beach
10 minutes on foot from La Islilla Cove
Sandy and pebbly with clear waters. It possesses numerous black caves. You will find there fur seals and Humboldt penguins.

Paita Bay
60 km / 37 miles west of Paita (1 hour by car)
It is a picturesque bay named the “Paita Window” for the incomparable view it offers.

Iglesia Matriz Santísima Trinidad de Sullana (Holy Trinity Church, Sullana’s main church)
Located at one end of the Main Square of Sullana
A Gothic church, it is known for the beautiful architectural lines and towers on either end.

Chira Valley
39 km / 24 miles north of Piura (45 minutes by car)
This valley is full of rice fields, and lemon and Marcavelica palm tree plantations. The area offers chances to enjoy water sports like motonautica or to take boat rides. At the heart of the valley, you find the city of Sullana, known as The Pearl of the Chira.

El Angolo Hunting Reserve
115 km / 71 miles north of Sullana (3 hours by 4×4 vehicle)
It is an area of 65,000 hectares (10,200 are fenced) that cover part of the slopes of the Amotapes Cordillera. The countryside is dominated by dry forests and a group of gorges and hills. The height varies from 540 masl / 1772 fasl at the village of El Angolo to 1613 masl / 5292 fasl at the top of the Carrizal hill.

Many different animal species live there with seventeen mammal species like the white tailed deer, cougar, wildcat, peccary, the squirrel, and the anteater. There are 150 bird species like the condor, king vulture, hawk, kestrel, Andean tinamou and pigeon, 13 reptilian, 7 amphibious, and 10 species of fish. Among the most important plants are the trees like the carob, acacia, palo santo, almond, buttercup, frejolillo, ceibo, sapodilla, spruce hualtaco. The hunting is regulated and controlled. The zone forms the Northeast Biosphere Reserve, known as such by UNESCO from March 1st, 1977.

Tangarara
14 km / 9 miles from Sullana in the District of Marcavelica
This was the first Spanish city founded on the South Pacific. An obelisk was raised in 1932 in the plaza to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of its founding.

Poechos Dam
27 km / 17 miles from Sullana in the District of Lancones
A reservoir of water that at its fullest functions as an artificial lake reaching even to the border with Ecuador. At its discharge point, a monumental dam has been built, dikes and sluices. A fish farm has also been developed here to raise fresh water species like the tilapia, trout, and paiche. It is an excellent place for water sports and fishing.

Sullana Derivadora Dam
38 km / 24 miles from Piura between the Teodomiro hill (main sluice) and the Mambre hill.
This forms a pond with a view of the city of Sullana. It offers a chance to do water sports.

Amotape Hills National Park
90 km / 56 miles north of Sullana (3 hours by car) until the village of El Papayo (control point) and main gate to the park
The park is shared by the Piura and Tumbes Regions, the latter is the point of easiest access. The altitude of its 91,300 hectares varies from 200 to 1613 masl / 656 to 5292 fasl, and the terrain is marked by hills and mountains of La Brea or Amotape mountain chain. With an average annual temperature of 24ºC, this dry, equatorial forest possesses great biodiversity.

The most important varieties of trees are the carob, spruce hualtaco, charanes, sapodilla, pasallo, and zebrawood. The wild life is rich in species from the various represented zones: tropical forest, desert, and Andean. Highlighted species are Andean condors, little spotted cats, red deer, peccarys, gray deer, Guayaquil squirrels, and red crowned parrots. This park forms part of the Northeast Biosphere Reserve.

San Martin of Tours Church
Downtown Sechura
This colonial, late Baroque church was built in the eighteenth century. The 44 meter / 144 feet high towers, the carved wood pulpit, the upper altar made from tree trunks, and the balconies that were used by distinguished families of the area to attend mass discreetly are the highlights of this church.

Sechura Desert
55 km / 34 miles southwest of Piura (1 hour by car)
It is the largest desert in Peru. It is located in the southwestern part of the Region and covers more than 5000 km2 / 1931 miles2. In the adjacent sea, there are large deposits of phosphates and petroleum. The Province of Sechura is known for its bay and the Parachique fishing center.

Lake Ramon
40 km / 25 miles south of Piura (40 minutes by car)
This small lake is home to a variety of flora and fauna like the carob tree, sapodilla and vichayo, as well as certain native bird species.

San Pedro Mangroves (San Isidro Beach or Cove)
45 km / 28 miles southcove Piura (25 minutes by car)
It covers some 1,500 hectares of which 400 are full of mangroves. The terrain is flat in the mangrove forest, but the rest undulates because of the sand dunes. Nearby, the Sechura River runs parallel to the coast for the last five kilometers. The delta formed there has built up so much sand that it stops any direct access to the ocean. This detour has created, towards the north, a strip of ocean shore that varies in width between 200 and 350 meters / 656 and 1148 feet and forms the left side of the river. The most abundant plant life is the black mangrove, and as representatives of the animals, there are seventeen different bird families. To the south of San Pedro, there is the Chulliyachi Cove, a very popular destination in summer, located 8 km / 5 miles west of Sechura.

Punta Nunura or Shode Beach
75 km / 47 miles southwest of Sechura (55 minutes by 4×4 vehicle and 30 minutes by boat)
It is formed by wide bays and white granite stones that fall from sand dunes. It possesses an extraordinarily clean and blue ocean where dolphins, turtles, and sea birds live. It is a great place to fish or surf.

Illescas Archeological Complex
From Piura, drive 44 km / 27 miles to Sechura (45 miuntes by car) and another 64 km / 40 miles from there to the complex (55 minutes by car)
It is made up of a cemetery, burial caves, and smaller stone structures. According to experts, it is considered to the place where the Sechura Man originated through the Illescas culture.

Ñapique Lake
15 km / 9 miles east of Sechura to the north of the Bayovar depression (20 minutes by car)
It is a peace location with very rich, highly soluble phosphate deposits.

Province of Piura 

Main Square
Downtown Piura
This plaza is surrounded by tamarindo trees, whose seedlings were brought from the Yapatera plantation and planted in 1870. At the center, you find the marble statue of the “Pola” who represents liberty and was presented by the President Jose Balta around 1870.

Cathedral of Piura
Calle Huancavelica 362. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri. 7:00 A.M. – 8:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M; Sat. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
It was built in 1588 under the protection of the Virgen de la Asuncion (Assumption Virgin) and San Miguel Arcangel (Michael the Archangel). Preserved on the inside is the Churrigueresque shrine of the Virgin of Fatima carved from Nicaraguan cedar and covered in gold leaf. It was probably one of the first in Peru. The upper plateresque altar was reconstructed by the Spanish sculptor, Julian Alagua, after the 1912 earthquake. As the department’s main church, the Piura parish archives are kept there.

San Francisco Church
Intersection of Calle Lima and Malecon Eguiguren 516. Telephone: (073) 31-1111
Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. Mass times: 8:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M.
An ancient cloister constructed by Franciscan priests during the eighteenth century, it was declared a National Monument in the years 1969 and 1980.

Casa Museo de Almirante Miguel Grau (Museum of the House of Admiral Miguel Grau)
Jiron Tacna 662. Telephone: (073) 32-6541 / 33-1961. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri. 8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. and 3:30 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.
This is the house where Admiral Miguel Grau, hero of the War of the Pacific (the war against Chile, 1879) was born and lived. The home consists of four large rooms and a library. Besides the furniture used by the Great Admiral, you can see pictures, letters, diplomas, and documents.

Del Carmen Church
Jiron La Libertad 366. Across from the Merino Plaza
It dates from the eighteenth century and was declared a National Historical Monument in 1974. Today, it houses the Museo de Arte Religioso (Religious Art Museum).

Vicus Museum
Intersection of Avenida Sullana and Jiron Huanuco. Telephone: (073) 32-7541. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sat. 8:00 A.M. – 10:00 P.M; Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
There are three halls, Ceramic Hall, Metallurgical Technology Hall, and Hall of Gold, the last of which houses sixty-one gold pieces that demonstrate the development and technology reached by the Vicus.

Los Ejidos National Tourism Center
10 km / 6 miles from Piura (Approximately 15 minutes by car). Visiting hours: Sat. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
The center of this site is a pool of water, 20 km / 12 miles long, that was created by the damming of the Piura River. Animals such as the iguana, the grey heron, the grebe, and the wild geese inhabit its shores.

Catacaos Town
12 km / 7 miles southwest of Piura (15 minutes by car)

This town is home to excellent artisans who work with straw and cotton fabrics, and also elaborate silver and gold filigree.

Fortaleza de Narihuala (Narihuala Fortress)
3 km / 1,8 miles from Catacaos (5 minutes by car). Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
It is considered to be the capital of the Tallan, a pre-Inca culture. The buildings are constructed of platforms of adobe with mud mortar and organized into four sectors. The total area covers 6 hectares.

ALTITUDE
Capital:Piura (29 masl / 95 fasl)
Lowest point: 3 masl / 10 fasl (Paita and Los Organos)
Highest point: 2709 masl / 8888 fasl (Ayabaca)
CLIMATE
The city of Piura tends to be arid and hot, with no rain all year. The average annual maximum temperature is 31,2ºC (88,1ºF) and the minimum is 17,7ºC (63,8ºF). During the presence of the El Niño effect, it rains, especially between December and June.

ACCESS ROUTES
By land Lima – Piura: 1035 km / 643 miles by the Pan-American Highway North (12 hours by car)
By air Regular flights to Piura from Lima (1 hour and 15 minutes), Trujillo (40 minutes) and Chiclayo (30 minutes).

DISTANCES FROM THE CITY OF PIURA TO THE FOLLOWING CITIES
-Ayabaca(Province of Ayabaca) 229 km (142 miles) / 6 hours
-Huancabamba(Province of Huancabamba) 214 km (133 miles) / 7 hours
-Chulucanas(Province of Chulucanas) 60 km (37 miles) / 45 minutes
-Paita(Province of Paita) 60 km (37 miles) / 45 minutes
-Sechura(Province of Sechura) 50 km (31 miles) / 55 minutes
-Sullana(Province of Sullana) 39 km (24 miles) / 35 minutes
-Talara(Province of Talara) 118 km (73 miles) / 1 hour and 30 minutes

DIRECTORY:

AIRPORT
Carlos Concha Iberico Airport
Avenida Corpac Piura Telephone: (073) 34-4503 / 34-4997
Talara Airport
Upper Talara Telephone: (073) 38-1604 / 38-1363

OVERLAND TRANSPORT
There is no bus terminal, but the majority of bus companies are located downtown.

HEALTH CENTERS
Reategui Hospital: Avenida Grau 1150. Telephone: (073) 33-1157. Attention: 24 hours
Cayetano Heredia Hospital: Avenida Independencia, Castilla. Telephone: (073) 34-2648

LOCAL POLICE
Piura Police Station: Avenida Sanchez Cerro, block 12. Telephone: (073) 30-6266
San Martin Police Station: Prolongacion Avenida Grau, San Martin. Telephone: (073) 36-1197

CRAFT MARKETS
Catacaos: Calle Comercio
Morropon: La Encantada, Chulucanas

POSTAL SERVICES
-Piura: Calle Ayacucho Telephone: (073) 32-7031.
Attention: Mon. – Sat. 8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
-Sullana: Calle San Martin 778 Telephone: (073) 50-2143.
Attention: Mon. – Sat. 8:00 A.M. – 7:30 P.M.; Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
-Paita: Jiron Bolivar 126 Telephone: (073) 61-1016.
Attention: Mon. – Sat. 8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

TOURIST INFORMATION

-Regional Government of Piura www.regionpiura.gob.pe
-IPerú, Tourist information

The department of Piura contains many types of terrain. The coast features the largest desert in Peru, Sechura, which also includes the lowest place in Peru, the Bayovar depression at 37 mbsl / 121 fbsl towards the east, in the Andes, the terrain becomes rougher. The Porculla Trail is located there, (2138 masl / 7014 fasl); it is the lowest Andean trail in Peru.

Piura, full of joy and song, was in 1532 the first city founded in Peru by Francisco Pizarro. At present, it is an important center of economic development in northern Peru. Just twelve kilometers from the city is Catacaos, known for its artisans who work in straw and cotton and gold and silver filigree and for its exquisite restaurants. The town of Chulucanas is another famous place, but this time for pottery and excellent chicherías (taverns where chicha, a local drink, is served).

The coast of Piura offers many diverse attractions. Máncora, located close to the Piura-Tumbes border, is a small cove with beautiful beaches much prized by surfers, fun loving youths, and entire families. Toward the south lies Cabo Blanco, famous for the people cut from the same cloth as Ernest Hemmingway, attracted by ocean fishing for marlin, swordfish, and grouper. Today, it is the perfect place to surf since some of the best waves in Peru are found there. Colán is the main beach resort for the inhabitants of Piura, lovely for its typical wooden houses set upon pylons at the edge of the sea.

On the way to the highlands in the province of Huancabamba, you find the Huaringas, an enclave for shamans and mystic healers and an area of medicinal lakes and apus, protector mountains.

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