Huanchaco

Just nine miles from Trujillo lies this coastal gem, a laid-back seaside village known for its superb seafood, caballitos de totora reed boats and surf scene. Its white-sand beaches once served as a vacation refuge for domestic travelers, but in recent years, it has garnered international tourist attention with overseas visitors coming to indulge their inner beach bum.

Clean and relatively unspoiled, Huanchaco, Peru makes a great place to relax, learn to surf or even just to base yourself while exploring nearby Trujillo and ruins such as Chan Chan. With plenty of accommodation options and excellent seafood restaurants, it also makes an appealing stop-off for Peru luxury tours.

On one side of Huanchaco’s main road are the lapping waves of the ocean; the other side is lined with all kinds of seaside lodges, cafes and seafood restaurants. It’s hard to beat Huanchaco for fresh just-off-the-boat seafood. Savvy visitors know to stake out a table with ocean views and order until it’s laden with seafood: ceviche, chicarron de pescado (battered fish nuggets) and chupe de mariscos (seafood soup) are usually top-notch, but you can’t go wrong with the catch of the day either.

Surfing is the sport of choice at Huanchaco’s beach, which is famous for its constant waves. In fact, it was the first Latin American town to be designated a World Surfing Reserve by the Save the Waves Coalition. Joining the boarders out on the waves are Huanchaco’s own fishermen, who ride long, narrow totora reed boats. These boats are known as caballitos de totora or “little reed horses” because fishermen sit astride them like they would a saddle.

Does Huanchaco sound like heaven? Let Kuoda sweep you away on a luxury Peru trip to this enchanting beach town.  At Kuoda Travel, all trips are custom and personally designed for you by one of our professional travel experts. Contact us today and get your free Peru trip quote.