What to See in Chiclayo

The Plaza de Armas is the heart of Chiclayo. It was officially opened to the public in 1916 which shows how young the city of Chiclayo is. The main attraction of the Plaza de Armas is the beautiful pool with its three jets of water that form the flag of Peru.

The Cathedral of Chiclayo, also called the St. Mary’s Cathedral or Catedral de Santa María, was built in the late 19th century. The plans for the church had been finished in 1869, but because of a lack of funds the final construction started in 1928. And in 1939 the church was finished. The Cathedral of Chiclayo was built in the neo-classical style.

This little square was constructed in honor of the Commander Elías Aguirre who was a hero in the Combat of Angamos in 1879. It is a calm place where people come to feed the birds and to sit down on one of the benches under the trees that surround the Plazuela Elías Aguirre. The square is located between Elías Aguirre street and San José street.

In 1987, the tombs of the Señor de Sipán were discovered at Huaca Rajada located 40 minutes by bus from Chiclayo. The Lord of Sipán was a ruler of the Moche culture that existed between 100 and 800 AD. He was buried with a golden scepter and adorned in earrings and head jewelry. His tomb was decorated with ornaments of gold, silver, and turquoise. Apart from that, bones of women, children, and animals were found buried with him as sacrificial offerings.

The Museo Tumbas Reáles de Sipán was opened in 2002 and exposes more than 400 gold and silver objects. Furthermore, it shows the new mausoleum of the Lord of Sipán. The museum is located in the town of Lambayeque, 10 minutes from Chiclayo. It is formed after a Moche pyramid.

The Museo Arqueológico Nacional Brüning, the Brüning Museum, is not as popular as the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán, but it shows interesting items from the Chimú, Moche, Chavín, and Vicus culture. The museum showcases ceramic items from these cultures. An interesting feature of the museum is the bronze statues and tile murals that decorate the building. The price for an English-speaking guide is 30 Soles.

The Pyramids of Tucume are located 40 km from Chiclayo. In total, this site consists of 26 pyramids of which the biggest one is 700 m long, 270 m wide and 30 m high. Pre-Inca cultures like the Lambayeque culture were good architects and built the Pyramids of Tucume as wells as canals carrying water from remote rivers. The Pyramids are adorned with yellow and green murals showing their gods. At the site, there is also the Museum of Tucume which explains the customs and traditions of the Lambayeque culture.