Trujillo is a city in coastal northwestern Peru and the capital of La Libertad Region. It is located on the banks of the Moche River, near its mouth at the Pacific Ocean, in the Valley of Moche. This was a site of the great prehistoric Moche and Chimu cultures before the Inca conquest. It is the centre of the second most populous metropolitan area of Peru and most populous city of Northern Peru.
The vibe: As a city, Trujillo has more to offer in terms of gastronomy and art opportunities than Huanchaco. The city is lively and walkable, with plenty of public transportation like taxis available. It’s got outdoor malls, plenty of cafe’s and a beautiful vibrant Plaza de Armas in the historic center. In Trujillo, you will stay with a host family, particularly a host mom, who will make you feel at home with her cooking and genuine love for you. Our center for public health CESAPU is located about 35-40 minutes away from Trujillo via public transportation. While it may be further from our own clinic, it is typically located closer to some hospital rotations. We assign 2-4 volunteers per host family, maximum, and if you have a large group you will most likely be split between homes, which may be anywhere from 0.2 to 1.5 kilometers apart. The neighborhoods you will stay in are located among some of the nicest, safest neighborhoods in Trujillo like: La Merced, La Arboleda, Jardines del Golf, or El Golf.
Trujillo is also known as the “Capital of the everlasting Spring”, as well as the “Capital of Culture of Peru”. It has sponsored numerous national and international cultural events, and has a lively arts community. Current festivals include the “National Marinera Festival”, the Trujillo Spring Festival and the International Book Festival. Also is famous for its prominent writers such as Cesar Vallejo and Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, caballitos de totora, Trujillo’s gastronomy, etc.
Trujillo is close to two major archeological sites of pre-Columbian monuments: Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the ancient world, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986; and the temples of the Sun and Moon (the largest adobe pyramid in Peru).
The city center contains many examples of colonial and religious architecture, often incorporating distinctive wrought ironwork. It includes residential areas, a central business district, and industrial supply distribution to the various districts. Catholicism is the predominant religion and 10 colonial churches are located within the old city wall, now encircled by Avenida España.
Trujillo maintains a mild climate and warm with temperatures around 19 °C for most of the year, which Trujillo is internationally known as City of Eternal Spring, because of its sunny and pleasant weather year-round.The part closest to the sea presented naturally, haze during the morning and usually, the temperature is lower than in the central and upper parts of the city.
