Originally built on a granite ledge on a hillside, modern day Trujillo – which sits below the original – is located on the lower Moche River and is home to about 800,000 residents. One of the first South American cities founded by the Spanish, Trujillo later struggled fiercely against Spanish rule and was once the main headquarters of Simon Bolivar.
Trujillo is a good city from which to explore the sites pertaining to the Moche and Chimu civilizations of northern Peru, including Chan Chan and El Brujo. It’s also a growing destination for surfers, with one of South America’s premiere surfing locations – Huanchaco – located just north of the city.
