After visiting Chachapoyas, we headed to the coast to see a bit of archaeological sites in the cities of Chiclayo and Trujillo. We didn’t really have limited time and for that reason decided to go and visit them both to see what the coast of Peru had to offer. That being said, if you do have limited time, here we take into account the archaeological sites, accessibility of sights, architectural beauty, other notable sights and general costs to help you pick the best of the two.
1# Archaeological Sites
Even though in Chiclayo there are surely better museums (e.g. Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan, Sican Museum and Huaca Rajada on-site museum), in terms of actual archaeological sites to see Trujillo is a winner (e.g. Huaca de la Luna & Chan Chan). True that we’re not huge fans of museums but seriously, the conservation of the archaeological sites in Trujillo was more stunning than Chiclayo’s museums. Though, if you really put seeing skeletons at the top of the list then Chiclayo might be the best choice for you.
Trujillo: 1 | Chiclayo: 0
2# Accessibility of sights
In both cities, reaching all the majors sights is relatively easy even if you stick to public transport. True, you might have to ask around but even your hostel can give you enough information to reach pretty much anything worth a visit in town. What really makes the difference here is distance. In Chiclayo getting to Lambayeque is a short ride (20min) but if you wanna go to any other site, expect to be on a colectivo for at least 45min. On the other hand, in Trujillo most of the sites are within a 20min radius from the city centre and even Chan Chan (the furthest) is just 30min max away.
Trujillo: 2 | Chiclayo: 0
3# Architectural Beauty
Let’s start by saying that both cities are surely not famous for their architectural beauty (at least not to us), in fact we didn’t really feel the two were anything special in particular: just your average chaotic peruvian city. That being said, the Plaza de Armas Trujillo, pedestrian area, cathedral and some colonial buildings of Trujillo were definitely a nice sight compared to Chiclayo’s unfinished buildings.
Trujillo: 3 | Chiclayo: 0
The Caballitos de Totora at Huanchaco
4# Other sights
Apart from archaeological sites, both places have nearby beaches (Pimentel or Huanchaco, in Chiclayo and Trujillo respectively) and interesting local markets. Pimentel might be better to spend sometime at the beach while Huanchaco to see the famous Caballitos de Totora. So they are even!
Trujillo: 4 | Chiclayo: 1
The Peruvian hairless dog!
5# General Costs
This was pretty tight. Trujillo has surely cheaper transport to the city’s highlights but in Chiclayo both accomodation and food were slightly less expensive. The difference was minimal but in the end we can say that Chiclayo is definitely the more economical destination of the two.
Trujillo: 4 | Chiclayo: 2
Some great bas-relieves at Chan Chan
Final Verdict
Overall both cities are definitely worth a stop for a couple of days but in our opinion, if you have to choice between the two for some reason, then you should be heading to Trujillo. The nice archaeological sites, prettier architecture and more accessible sights are definitely good point worth that extra buck more you’ll spend on slightly more expensive food and accomodation.
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