Huanchaco

---

title: "Huanchaco" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["surfing-locations", "surfing-locations-in-peru", "fishing-communities", "cities-in-the-department-of-la-libertad", "localities-of-trujillo,-peru"] description: "Popular seaside resort town in the city of Trujillo, Peru" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huanchaco" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Popular seaside resort town in the city of Trujillo, Peru ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Huanchaco
native_name
settlement_type
image_skyline	PhotomontageHuanchaco.jpg
imagesize	295px
image_caption	From top and left to right: View of Huanchaco beach, Dish of cebiche, Huanchaco pier, Saveguard in Caballito de Totora, Tumi: Chimu work, Chan Chan: Chimu capital, Park in Huanchaco, Night view of the pier, Swamps of Huanchaco, Navegator Chimu in a Caballito de Totora, Surfers in Huanchaco, Wall in Chan Chan
pushpin_map	Peru
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	La Libertad Region
subdivision_type2	Province
subdivision_name2	Trujillo
subdivision_type3	District
subdivision_name3	Huanchaco
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Jose Ruiz Vega (2019-2022)
leader_title1
established_title	Established
established_date	Mochica in Pre-Columbian era
Spanish: January 1, 1535 by fray Alonso de Escarcena and Juan de Barbaran.
established_title3	Incorporated (city)
unit_pref
area_land_km2
population_as_of	2017
population_urban	71,379
population_blank1_title	Demonym
population_blank1	huanchaquino(a)
huanchaqueño(a)
timezone	PET
utc_offset	-5
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	13
postal_code_type
website	Municipality of Huanchaco
::

|official_name = Huanchaco |other_name = |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = |motto = |image_skyline = PhotomontageHuanchaco.jpg |imagesize = 295px |image_caption = From top and left to right: View of Huanchaco beach, Dish of cebiche, Huanchaco pier, Saveguard in Caballito de Totora, Tumi: Chimu work, Chan Chan: Chimu capital, Park in Huanchaco, Night view of the pier, Swamps of Huanchaco, Navegator Chimu in a Caballito de Totora, Surfers in Huanchaco, Wall in Chan Chan |image = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Peru |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = La Libertad Region |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Trujillo |subdivision_type3 = District |subdivision_name3 = Huanchaco |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Jose Ruiz Vega (2019-2022) |leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = |established_title = Established |established_date = Mochica in Pre-Columbian era Spanish: January 1, 1535 by fray Alonso de Escarcena and Juan de Barbaran. |established_title2 = |established_date2 = |established_title3 = Incorporated (city) |established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2017 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km= |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2= |population_density_metro_sq_mi2= |population_urban = 71,379 |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi2= |population_blank1_title = Demonym |population_blank1 = huanchaquino(a) huanchaqueño(a) |timezone = PET |utc_offset = -5 |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 13 |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |website = Municipality of Huanchaco |footnotes = Huanchaco is a popular seaside resort city in province of Trujillo, Peru. Huanchaco is known for its surf breaks, its caballitos de totora and its ceviche, and is near the ancient ruins of Chan Chan. Huanchaco was approved as a World Surfing Reserve by the organization Save The Waves Coalition in 2012 This historic town is part of the tourist circuit called the "Moche Route" or "Ruta Moche".

Scientific research on the maritime culture of Huanchaco has been conducted and published by American anthropologist Ricardo Sabogal-Suji, Ph.D.

Dr. Ricardo Sabogal-Suji has investigated the significance of Huanchaco's historical, cultural, and touristic value.

History

Pre-Columbian era

Huanchaco's original population were indigenous fishermen, who worshipped the moon and a golden fish called Huaca Taska. Some accounts suggest the name "Huanchaco" originate from "Gua-Kocha, a Quechua word meaning "beautiful lake". During the period of the Chimú culture, 800 to 1400, Huanchaco was the port for Chan Chan, which was established 4 km away. It was also the main port during Moche period, and was described by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega as the preferred port of the Incas.

Archaeologists led by Gabriel Prieto revealed the largest mass child sacrifice with more than 140 children skeleton and 200 Llamas dating to the Chimú culture after he was informed about some children had found bones in a dune nearby Prieto's fieldwork in 2011.

According to the researchers' notes in the study, there was cut marks on the sterna, or breastbones some of the children and the llamas. Children's faces were smeared with a red pigment during the ceremony before their chests had been cut open, most likely to remove their hearts.Remains showed that these kids came from different regions and when the children and llamas were sacrificed, the area was drenched with water.

“We have to remember that the Chimú had a very different world view than Westerners today. They also had very different concepts about death and the role each person plays in the cosmos, perhaps the victims went willingly as messengers to their gods, or perhaps Chimú society believed this was the only way to save more people from destruction” said anthropologists  Ryan Williams.

Colonial era

Following the Spanish conquest of 1534, the Spanish town was founded as "Huanchaco" on January 1, 1535, by the Franciscan friar Alonso of Escarcena and Juan de Barbaran.

Subsequently, Huanchaco functioned as the main port of Trujillo city, but the port closed in 1870. Two decades later Victor Larco Herrera rebuilt the pier exclusively for exporting sugar from businesses in the neighbouring Chicama valley, one of the most important areas of sugar production in the country.

Origin of Ceviche

Main article: Ceviche

According to Andrés Tinoco Rondan, an academic researcher at Ricardo Palma University, Huanchaco is the birthplace of the seafood dish ceviche. Oral histories suggest ceviche was prepared with lemons from Simbal (yunga village nearby), with chilli from the Moche River valley and seaweed extracted from the sea.

In Huanchaco the ceviche is often served to tourists with the seaweed called cochayuyo or mococho which is taken from the shores of Huanchaco

File:Cebiche-don-lucho.jpg|Typical dish of ceviche in Huanchaco, National Cultural Heritage by the Peruvian government

Tourism

Huanchaco is visited by foreign tourists, particularly surfers. Several surf events are held and one of the most important each year in January is the Huanchaco longboard. Other nearby attractions include Chan Chan, Mount Campana, a sacred mountain in the Chimu culture and Pampas de Gramalote, a complex for shamanic experiences.

Surfing

In 2012 Huanchaco obtained approval as a World Surfing Reserve by the organization Save The Waves Coalition. This designation is the first awarded to a Latin America town and the fifth in the world. Huanchaco is notable not only for consistent, smooth waves, but also for being the birthplace of the Caballito de totora boat which is regarded as one of the first known surf crafts. Huanchaco's beaches offer smooth and consistent waves, as it is very exposed to all swells.

The Huanchaco Longboard World Championships is a surfing competition that has taken place since 2010 at the El Elio Beach in Huanchaco, and brings together leading surfers of several countries of the world.

File:Surfing en caballito de totora en Huanchaco.jpg|Surfing in a caballito de totora in Huanchaco File:A Gang of Friendly Surfers in Huanchaco, Peru.jpg|A group of surfers in Huanchaco

Sandboarding

The sand dunes near the town of Laredo, close to Trujillo are a popular destination for sandboarding. |title=Huanchaco beach tourist attractions |width=190 |height=190 |File:Peru Huanchaco Typical Fisherman reed boats.jpg|Huanchaco beach surfer's paradise |file:playabeach.jpg|La Ribera avenue at Huanchaco |file:Peruvian fishing boats.jpg|Peruvian fishing boats It shows the typical and ancient caballitos de totora |file:playahuanchaco.jpg|Malecon near to the beach |file:Huanchaco 2.jpg|Park in Huanchaco ||The Huanchaco pier is one of the most visited places by tourists from around the world who come to Huanchaco, a longboard world stage ||Sailing with caballitos de totora

Swamps of Huanchaco

Main article: Swamps of Huanchaco

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/HumedalesHuanchaco1.JPG" caption="Moche]] for fishing."] ::

Swamps of Huanchaco, also known as Wetlands of Huanchaco is an ecological Chimu reserve located in Huanchaco Beach, about 14 km northwest of Trujillo city, Peru. From this ecological reserve the ancient mochica extracted the raw material for the manufacture of the ancient Caballitos de totora used since the time of the Moche for fishing. Currently Huanchaco fishermen still use materials from these swamps to make the traditional boats

Festivals

• Carnival of Huanchaco, this carnival has been held since the beginning of the 20th century. Originally villagers performed a carnival emulating the famous Venetian Carnival of the time. Later it became organized by the Club Huanchaco, and now consists of several activities including the crowning of the queen, surf contest, luau party, creativity in the sand, championships of Caballito de totora, and the carnival parade among. In 2012 the carnival parade was held on 25 February.
• San Pedro, the patron saint of fishermen at sea, is also called "San Pedrito"; in Huanchaco it is made a traditional "Patacho" which is a giant reed horse. It is celebrated in the month of June.

In popular culture

• The town is mentioned in The Swarm, a novel by Frank Schätzing. A fisherman from the town and his experience served as the opening prologue for the novel.

References

References

1. (September 2018). "Huanchaco History".
3. (November 2017). "Veraneantes ocupan la playa en el inicio del 2013".
4. "Huanchaco-World Surfing Reserve in Peru".
5. "Ruta Moche La Libertad".
6. "Animals of the Sky, Sea, Highland Mountains, and Lowland Forest Landscapes · Ancient Coastal Cultures of Peru: People and Animals at the Edge of the Pacific Ocean · UT Ancient Americas".
7. Arellano, Alexandra. (2024-12-31). "Courir les vagues : vers la patrimonialisation de Huanchaco comme haut lieu de surf millénaire". Téoros. Revue de recherche en tourisme.
8. (2018-04-26). "Exclusive: Ancient Mass Child Sacrifice May Be World's Largest".
9. (9 May 2019). "World's Biggest Mass Child Sacrifice Discovered In Peru, with 140 Killed in 'Heart Removal' Ritual {{!}} ARCHAEOLOGY WORLD".
10. Geggel, Laura. (6 March 2019). "Hearts Ripped from 140 Children and 200 Llamas in Largest Child Sacrifice in Ancient World".
11. Osborne, Hannah. (2019-03-06). "World's biggest mass child sacrifice discovered in Peru, with 140 killed in "heart removal" ritual".
12. "Prospección al recurso cochayuyo en la Playa de Huanchaco".
13. (2012-09-25). "Huanchaco: esta será la nueva propuesta turística en famoso balneario trujillano".
14. "Punta Huanchaco Spot Guide".
15. (9 January 2012). "Huanchaco se alista para semana de cultura viva y mundial de Longboard".
16. "Swamps of Huanchaco".
17. "Wetlands of Huanchaco".
18. "Day of Wetlands".
19. Victor Pulido. "El Balsar de Huanchaco".
20. (24 February 2012). "Trujillo: Unos 12 mil turistas disfrutarán del Carnaval de Huanchaco".
21. (29 June 2012). "Huanchaco: San Pedro bendice a pescadores en tradicional Patacho".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::