Explore Barranca

1 The sacred city of Caral

Caral is the oldest city in America. It has more than 5 thousand years of history. It is 174 kilometers from Lima. Find out how to visit it, prices and more.

The sacred city of Caral

Barranca major shopping center

This Lima province is one of the smallest, but at the same time, it is one of the most important. It has an approximate population of 133,994 inhabitants. All this population inhabits the territory of this province of 1,355.87 square kilometers. At the same time, this place is established on the Peruvian coast and is one of the smallest provinces of Lima.

Barranca is made up of 5 districts. The district with the greatest attendance and economic activity is Barranca, which is also the capital of this entire province. The following districts were Paramonga, Pativilca, Supe and Supe Puerto. More than 3,000 years ago, the inhabitants of this place were part of the Chimú, with the passing of the years. But, later they were part of the Incas.

You can find different destinations, the most important is the one known as Caral, which is part of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It will also be possible to find some colonial constructions and others that served to achieve the independence of this entire place.

Currently, you can find other destinations that are quite striking. The main ones are the 6 beaches that can be visited along the entire coastline that make up the Barranca beach circuit: El Áspero, Caleta Vidal, Pucusana, Quitacalzón and more. It is also possible to find large houses and the famous Christ the Redeemer.

Where is Barranca?

As we mentioned before, it is located north of the capital of Lima. It is the province that has the most contact with the Huaraz region. It borders exactly three provinces of this region and they are; Huarmey, Huaura and the province of Ocros. It has an average altitude of 49 meters above sea level.

All of its geographical space is located on the coast, so it is quite common to find sandbanks and enjoy the heat that is ideal for the summer months. Some beaches are crowded, sometimes parades and commemorations are held that bring together the entire population near the square.

¿Cómo llegar a Barranca?

Barranca the capital is only 3 hours from the historic center of Lima. This may vary due to the schedule and free transit conditions of the day. During the taxi they will find different mountains in the distance, some seabirds and farming camps. The easiest way to make this trip is by interprovincial buses.

Brief history of Barranca

The first communities of people who lived in this place date back to the years 1543 BC. These tribes were little by little dominated or allied with the Chimú culture. With the passing of time, they formed part of the Inca culture. Remember that during the expansionist campaigns of Pachacútec they already began to conquer these territories.

The current Barranca is founded after Spanish rule and after a few years after independence. It is estimated that the municipality of Barranca was founded in the year 1823. During the winter months we can find rain, however, during the summer days the heat is present. The first district you will see if you come from Lima will be Supe, where most of the population lives from agriculture. It is estimated that these practices were inherited from the first settlers who dedicated themselves to this activity and fishing. Beautiful ceramic works were also found.

The archaeological remains of Caral are the sample of the incredible architecture that they possessed with the domain of the adobes creator of mud and straw. In these constructions you can also appreciate a system that bifurcated the social classes of the different cultures and civilizations that settled throughout this territory. The main cultures that we can find are the remains of the Caral culture, the Chimús and the Incas.

Tourist attractions in Barranca that are mandatory places to visit

• Caral, It is located in the Valley formed by the Supe River. It was an important civilization dating from the time of the earliest cultures in world history: Egypt and Macedonia.
• Cristo Rendentor, It is quite an imposing monument. From the place of its construction you can watch the sunset and the swaying of the sea waves. You can’t miss this place.

Climate

It has a climate typical of the central coast of the Peruvian coast. In other words, in the summer months the heat is adequate for swimming or doing activities in the sea. However, in the winter season, frequent rains can occur and the temperature drops from 29°C to 13°C. This depends a lot on the climatic conditions that are formed by the presence of the Andes Mountains and the Marine Currents. Sometimes there is a large amount of mist.

Discover more places about Barranca

Something that draws a lot of attention in this entire province of Lima is the presence of quite old rocks. These igneous rocks date from the middle Cretaceous age. This area was volcanic during all that time. With the passing of time, a large part of this province became a valley. At present, you can find plateaus and hills that are distributed throughout this coastal coastline. Another important geological formation that can be found are the sea cliffs. Much of the sea in this province is found in an irregular and quite rocky relief.

You can find subtropical and tropical deserts, these ecosystems favor the growth of reeds, castor beans, and molle serrano. It is also possible to find wetlands where reeds and reeds grow. The birds that can be found are moorhens, some sea birds like the booby bird, and others like the cushuris, cuculíes and some lizards. According to recent studies it was possible to spot the Andean cat, skunks and possums.