Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [287]
HUANCHACO
044 / pop 41,900
This once-tranquil fishing hamlet, 12km outside Trujillo, woke up one morning to find itself a brightly highlighted paragraph on Peru’s Gringo Trail. Managing to retain much of its villagey appeal, Huanchaco has cottoned onto its own popularity and today is happy to dish up a long menu of sleeping and dining options to tourists. Come summertime, legions of local and foreign tourists descend on its lapping shores, and this fast-growing resort town makes a great alternative base for exploring the ruins surrounding Trujillo.
Orientation & Information
Larco is the main drag running the length of the bay and there’s a small pier in the middle of Huanchaco, often filled with hobbyist fishermen. There’s a S0.50 entry charged to the pier on the weekends. Building numbering can be a bit confusing as the local council changed all the building numbers in 2003, and many places still use the old ones.
See www.huanchaco.com for lots of useful tourist information. There’s a Banco Continental next to the municipalidad (town hall) with an ATM that accepts Visa cards. Next door is Internet K.M.E.K (La Riviera 269A; per hr S2; 8am-11pm), which moonlights as a Western Union office and can change US dollars. Mr Phil’s Lavandería (Los Helechos 619; per wash or dry S5; 9am-7pm) has self-service laundry. There’s a small post office (Manco Cápac 220; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) a block back from the pier.
Dangers & Annoyances
Be careful walking the streets late at night, as robberies are not uncommon.
Sights & Activities
Things change slowly here. So slowly that local fisherman are still using the very same narrow reed boats depicted on 2000-year-old Moche pottery. The fishermen paddle and surf these neatly crafted boats like seafaring cowboys, with their legs dangling on either side – which explains the nickname given to these elegantly curving steeds, caballitos de tortora (little horses). The inhabitants of Huanchaco are among the few remaining people on the coast who remember how to construct and use the boats, each one only lasting a few months before becoming waterlogged. You’ll see rows of these iconic craft extending their long fingers to the sun as they dry along the beach of Huanchaco. At the northern end you can see the reeds that are gown to manufacture the boats. To try surfing the 2000-year-old way, ask the fishermen on the beach to show you how to use their caballitos. Just S5 will get you paddled out and surfed back in Huanchaco style. If that whets your appetite, you can ask one of the locals to take you out fishing with them for a few hours: the price is highly negotiable.
The curving, grey-sand beach here is fine for swimming during the December to April summer, but expect serious teeth chatter during the rest of the year. The good surf here, perfect for beginners, draws its fair share of followers and you’ll see armies of bleached-blond surfer types ambling the streets with boards in hand. You can rent surfing gear (S15 to S30 per day for a wetsuit and surfboard) from several places along the main drag, including Wave (58-7005; Victor Larco 525). For surfing lessons, visit Un Lugar (957-7170; www.otracosa.info; cnr Bolognesi & Atahualpa), two blocks back from the main beach road. This place is run by the super-friendly and highly skilled Juan Carlos and provides private two-hour lessons for S45. It also rents boards and suits, organizes surfing safaris to Puerto Chicama and, best of all, runs a volunteer program helping local street children. Travelers are welcome to volunteer.
Otra Cosa (46-1346; www.otracosa.info; Victor Larco 921; 9am-8pm Wed-Sun), a Middle Eastern restaurant, also organizes several volunteer projects in the area; see its website for more information.
The church above town, Santuario de la Virgen del Socorro (dawn-dusk), is worth a visit. Built between 1535 and 1540, it is said to be the second-oldest church in Peru. There are sweeping