Chiclayo Peru: An Archaeological Wonderland!
Located in the north of the country, the city of Chiclayo, Peru, is often referred to as the ‘Heroic City’ of Peru as a way of recognizing the important contribution
Chiclayo Peru: An Archaeological Wonderland!
Located in the north of the country, the city of Chiclayo, Peru, is often referred to as the ‘Heroic City’ of Peru as a way of recognizing the important contribution of the city’s people during the 15-year war for independence from the Spanish, concluding in 1821. The capital city of the Lambayeque region, the beautiful city of Chiclayo Peru is located just 13km from the Peruvian coastline and the Pacific Ocean, and is the 4th most populous city in all of Peru, second only to Lima, Arequipa, and Trujillo. Some even refer to the capital of the region as the ‘City of Friendship’ referring to the hospitable and kind nature of the city’s people.
The History of Chiclayo, Peru
The area of Lambayeque and much of the northern Peruvian coastline was originally occupied by the Moche civilization from the 1st to 7th century A.D., including the area that is now the city of Chiclayo, Peru. Similar to the Inca Empire, the Moche civilization was heavily focused on the development of hydraulic engineering and the creation of irrigation systems to aid their agriculture along the predominantly dry Peruvian coastline. The Mohican civilization eventually came to an end as a result of a natural phenomenon known locally as ‘El Niño’, a period of extremely hot weather and dry conditions caused by an influx of warm water along the South American coastline originating from the Pacific Ocean along the equator.
The Sican or Lambayeque culture occupied the city of Chiclayo, Peru, for much of the following 700 years until the 16th century A.D., when the city was inhabited by two ethnic groups; the Cinto and the Collique. During the colonial period in Peru, when much of the countries major cities were inhabited by Spanish colonists, the city of Chiclayo remained mostly unaffected by the Spanish invaders and was populated mostly by locals, indigenous to the area.
During the war for Independence, Chiclayo Peru came to the forefront as an avid supporter of general José de San Martin’s liberating army, providing his forces with men, equipment, and resources to help the cause and to overcome the Spanish hold on Peru. After the war for independence was won in 1821 the city of Chiclayo, Peru, remained a small village until the 15th of April, 1835 when Felipe Santiago Salaverry, the president at the time declared the village the ‘Heroic City’, due to the efforts of its people during the war.
Today, Chiclayo Peru is one of the country’s most important cities and is both the financial and commercial capital of northern Peru. The city of friendship’s geographic location in Peru makes it an ideal rail, communications and automotive hub for the rest of Peru and signifies the importance of the city for the country as a whole.
Things to do in Chiclayo, Peru
This pre-hispanic valley of pyramids is the perfect place to spend a day just outside of Chiclayo, Peru. Dating back to the 1100s, the site has remained of religious importance to Shamans from the Sicán culture to this day and is the most recent of 3 ‘pyramid cities’ in the Lambayeque region with an incredible 250 pyramids total.
Batan Grande Archeological 