Chiclayo is the gateway to some of Peru's most important archaeological sites. This bustling city of about 250,000 on the northern coast is not much to look at itself, but it is the base for visiting the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum — one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the Americas — and the actual excavation site at Huaca Rajada where the Lord of Sipán was found in 1987.
The Brüning Archaeological Museum in nearby Lambayeque, just 11 km north, displays pre-Columbian gold, ceramics, and textiles from the Moche, Lambayeque, and Chimú cultures. The Mercado Modelo in Chiclayo itself is worth a wander — it has a famous section dedicated to traditional healers selling medicinal herbs and potions. The Ventarrón Temple, about 20 km southeast, preserves 4,500-year-old murals that rank among the oldest in the Americas.
The nearby coast offers a change of pace: the fishing village of Santa Rosa and the beach town of Pimentel are both within easy reach.