The Top 13 Things to do in Huanchaco Peru

Huanchaco is located in northern Peru, around 10 hours north of Lima by bus or 45 minutes flying. The city of Trujillo in northern Peru is 30 minutes by car from Huanchaco, and the airport for Trujillo is located a 5-minute drive from Huanchaco.

Huanchaco is famous for its surfing and all-year-round good weather, and it’s a great place to stop and break up the journey to Mancora or the border with Ecuador.

It is also a good place to stop before getting a bus to Huaraz, Chachapoyas or Cajamarca.

There are many things to do around Huanchaco Trujillo, from seeing ruins from the past civilisations that lived in this area to sandboarding and surfing.

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History of Huanchaco

Huanchaco was founded on 1 January 1535 after the Spanish conquest, but for many years before this, it was lived in by fishermen and was used as a port by the Moche, Chimu and Incan cultures. The port was eventually closed in 1870.

Nowadays, it is a town popular with surfers, and it attracts tourists all year round. In 2012, it became a world surfing reserve, due to its consistent smooth waves and being the birthplace of one of the first known surfboards the caballito de totora.

It is also believed that Huanchaco is the home of Ceviche. This is an amazing dish that is made with seafood/fish prepared with lemons and chilli, and is one of my favourite dishes.

Huanchaco Weather

Huanchaco weather is pretty good all year round. Summer is officially from January until March, but in November, it starts warming up. From January to March, the temperatures are at their highest, around 35 degrees, though it feels a lot hotter and you do need to use sun tan lotion as the sun is very strong, being so close to the equator.

Huanchaco though, is unlike Lima, which has 3 months of sun and 9 months of grey haze. In Huanchaco, even throughout winter, there are plenty of sunny days and it can be around 22 degrees. Even in winter, on a sunny day, it is possible to sunbathe on the beach.

In summer, the nights are warm and perfect for the outdoor party scenes in town, though in winter you will probably need a light jacket or jumper and long trousers as it can drop down to 10-15 degrees at night.

What to do in Trujillo, Peru, and Huanchaco, Peru

Here is my list of the Top 13 things to do in and around Huanchaco, Peru.

Chan Chan Peru

View of the main plaza at the Chan Chan archaeological site near Trujillo, Peru. The large open courtyard is surrounded by high adobe walls and partially covered structures, with roped-off pathways guiding visitors. The sky above is mostly clear with patches of clouds, adding contrast to the earthy tones of the ancient ruins.

Chan Chan Perú is located around a 10-minute drive from Huanchaco in between Trujillo and Huanchaco. The Chan Chan ruins are ancient ruins that date back to the Chimu culture and at it’s peak was the biggest city in South America. Chan Chan Trujillo Peru is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was built from adobe bricks and was established in 900AD, until the Chimu were defeated by the Inca’s in 1470.

Nowadays at these south american ruins you can see one of the palaces from this time that has been restored and you can see the carvings of mainly sea animals on the walls on this palace for the King on his death.

It costs 10 soles to enter these peru ruins and this also includes entrance to the museum, Arco Iris and Huaca Esmerelda.

If you get the bus from Huanchaco then it will cost 2 soles or a taxi should be around 10-15 soles.

Huaca de la Luna

Huaca de la Luna is a temple that dates back to the Moche period between the 1st and 8th centuries. On the site there are 2 temples Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna built by the Moche people, though only Huaca de la Luna has been excavated due to the damage to the other by the spanish conquistadores.

Every hundred years a new temple was built over the top of the old temple and 6 different temples have been found. Visitors can go inside the temple and explore and see the different layers that have been uncovered and see the original artwork that is still there on the walls.

The artwork is very colourful and shows how much the sea influenced the way of life.

It is believed that Huaca de la Luna served for ceremonial and religious functions and human and animal sacrifices have been found within the temple.

Huanchaco Beach Peru

View of Huanchaco Beach in northern Peru, showing a wide stretch of dark sand bordered by ocean waves on one side and a rocky breakwater on the other. In the distance, the town of Huanchaco is visible with low-rise buildings, palm trees, and a long pier stretching into the Pacific Ocean under a clear blue sky.

Huanchaco beach is one of the top peru beach towns and is one of the most popular northern peru beaches.

The beach is a little rocky but there are areas near Sunkella where it is easy to enter the water and perfect if you want a swim.

Huanchaco beach is very popular with surfers and one of the best areas for surfing in northern peru.

If you want to just relax though then you can rent chairs and umbrellas on the beach or just put your towel down.

On sundays the beach can be very busy in the summer with the locals from Trujillo coming to Huanchaco for the day though during the week it’s quite quiet and a nice place to relax and catch some rays.

Take your picture by the “Huanchaco” sign

Huanchaco now has a “Huanchaco” sign, where you can get your photo taken with the sea in the background. Sometimes the sign is white, sometimes it has colorful patterns on it and sometimes at night it is lit up. It is opposite Otra Cosa restaurant and is worth a walk to while you are visiting.

Take a stroll along Huanchaco Pier “El Muelle”

View of the wooden pier in Huanchaco, Peru, extending into the Pacific Ocean under a clear blue sky. The pier features red-roofed shelters, white railings, and vintage-style street lamps. Gentle waves crash onto the rocky shoreline in the foreground, while visitors walk along the pier enjoying the coastal scenery.

Huanchaco is dominated by it’s pier and if you are on the beach then you can always see the pier. It’s also the easiest spot to arrange to meet people as everyone can always find the pier.

The pier itself was constructed in 1891 of steel and is 108 metres long. It is a very popular attraction in Huanchaco and on a weekend it can get quite busy. It is nice to take a stroll along it and see what the fishermen are catching, maybe you will even see them catch a stingray like me!!

Unfortunately now in 2023 the pier is currently closed to visitors, due to the lack of maintenance by local authorities and damage caused by the waves, it is now no longer safe to walk on. It is very popular though to get your photo taken by the entrance to the pier.

Huanchaco Surf

Huanchaco Peru surf is probably the most famous area within the surfing community, with competitions being held here year round, with the Longboard World Championships held in January here every year.

It’s a very popular place to surf with advanced surfers, surfing to the left of the pier and beginners taking lessons to the right of the pier.

There are many surf schools in Huanchaco, you just need to walk along the main street Riviera, which stretches all the way along the coast through town and you will find many schools.

There is a surfing association within town meaning that the prices for rental and lessons is the same wherever you go. No need to haggle here as it’s the same price everywhere.

Have a ride on a Caballito de Totora

The original surf board from Huanchaco and which are still used to this day by fishermen on a morning and on an evening to go fishing. You have experience it yourself and go out with one of the fishermen for a little ride into the sea.

Iglesia de Huanchaco (Huanchaco Church)

View of a white colonial-style church with red trim sitting atop a green hillside in Huanchaco, Peru. The church features a prominent bell tower, arched windows, and a decorative façade. A stone path leads up through landscaped greenery toward the building, all under a clear blue sky.

The Santuario de la Virgen del Socorro was built on top of the hill in Huanchaco and originally could be viewed from anywhere in town. It was built in 1540 and is believed to be the second oldest church in Peru.

It is normally open during the day and is a great place to watch the amazing sunsets of Huanchaco. If you are visiting Huanchaco then it is definitely worth a visit.

Plaza de Armas Trujillo

View of the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo, Peru, featuring a large monument with statues in the center, palm trees, landscaped gardens, and the bright yellow Trujillo Cathedral with its twin domes in the background. Visitors are strolling across the wet stone plaza under a partly cloudy sky.

The Plaza de Armas in Trujillo dates back to 1534 when Martin de Estete began the designs of the streets of Trujillo. The historic centre of Trujillo covers an area of 133.5ha, 72 blocks and was originally surrounded by a wall.

The Plaza de Armas is one of the things to do in Trujillo Peru, it is also nice to walk the streets around the historic centre to see the old buildings.

The freedom monument in the centre of the Plaza de Armas was opened on the 4 July 1929 to celebrate the independence of Trujillo.

Also located on the square and surrounding the Plaza de Armas you will find Trujillo Cathedral which was constructed between 1647 and 1666. There are lots of beautiful buildings around the plaza de armas from the hispanic and republican periods with the traditional courtyards inside and wooden balconies on the outside.

Sandboarding Trujillo

A woman sandboarding down a large sand dune in Trujillo, Peru. The woman is captured mid-action, balancing on the board with bent knees and outstretched arms, surrounded by smooth, rippled sand patterns. The expansive dune stretches into the distance with visible tracks from previous runs.

There are a few places you can sandboard near Trujillo. The first is La Laguna de Conache, you will need to get a taxi here. It costs 1 sol to enter and you can rent the boards for 15 soles. Afterwards you can wash off in the lake. Here there are large sand dunes that you will need to climb each time to enjoy the ride down.

There is also the option to sandboard in Salaverry, it is where the main port is for Trujillo and where the cruise ships dock. You can either get a colectivo or taxi there from Trujillo.

Once there you can rent boards, before climbing to the top of the sand dunes that surround the town and ride down. It is also a great place to watch the sunset and then ride down the dune after.

Hike Cerro Campana Trujillo

While you are visiting Huanchaco, you will see from the beach a mountain, this is Cerro Campana. It is possible to hike this mountain that is 995 metres high. To start the hike you will need to get a taxi to the petrol/gas station “REPSOL grifo Marbella” on Ovalo El Milagro. If you are looking at the petrol station take the road to the left of the wall, walk down there to the end and you want to get to the sand dunes at the base of the mountain to walk up.

It is best to find a guide to take you up there or make sure you are in a group. It can be dangerous to try and hike it at night as even during the day the path is not obvious and there are parts that are quite dangerous.

Chicama Peru Surf

Chicama Beach is very well known by the surfing community for having the longest left hand wave in the world.

Puerto Chicama is around an hour and a half by bus from Trujillo and costs around 10 soles by bus or by taxi around 150 soles.

How to get to Chicama Peru – When getting the bus you need to get the bus to Puerto Malabrigo as Chicama itself is actually a few miles inland.

The Chicama surf season is all year around, though the waves are the best December until March. You need to wait for the surf to be big in Huanchaco for the waves to be big enough to surf in Chicama. If the waves are small in Huanchaco then they will be even smaller in Chicama.

If you are not into surfing it is still a nice town to visit to take some time to relax. You can sunbathe, walk along the beach, walk along the cliffs or enjoy some time at the spa hotel.

Take Spanish Lessons at Northern Beaches of Peru

Peru is a popular place to learn spanish and why not combine that with staying in a beach town and learning to surf. Huanchaco has two popular spanish schools, Sam’s and Manuel’s. I personally have used Manuel’s while I stayed in Huanchaco.

FAQ’s about Huanchaco, Peru

How many kilometres is Huanchaco from Trujillo?

It is 14km from the centre of Trujillo to Huanacho and is about a 30-minute drive in a taxi.

Is the beach nice in Huanchaco?

Unfortunately, over the last few years, a lot of sand has washed away and left the beach quite rocky. They do regularly try to remove the rocks, but the best areas with sand are at the entrance to Huanchaco and at the opposite end of Huanchaco.

Want to know the best places to stay in Huanchaco then check out my guides below:

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