Peru - North Coast

Itinerary: North Coast

TWO WEEKS/LIMA TO TUMBES

Straight as an arrow, the Panamericana Norte passes fabled archaeological sites, great beaches, colonial cities and modern museums with fascinating artefacts. Hemingway liked it - you will too.

The first stop from Lima could be tiny Casma, near the gruesome site of 1600 BC Sechin, although many travelers prefer to continue to Trujillo, Peru's third city. Attractions here include a well- preserved colonial center, the world's largest adobe city at the Chimu capital of Chan Chan, dating from AD 1300, ongoing excavations at the huge Moche pyramids, the Temples of the Sun and Moon and restful beaches at Huanchaco where local fishermen still use totora-reed canoes to paddle out beyond the breakers, as they have done for thousands of years. On the way to Chiclayo is Puerto Chicama, which boasts the worlds longest left-handed wave, attracting international surfers from May to August. Then it's cosmopolitan Chiclayo, surrounded by several minor towns that contain world-class museums, and the important archaeological site of Sipan.

Further north, Piura is the jumping-off point for a visit to the witchdoctors of Huancabamba, eight hours by bus to the east. Beach lovers, though, should continue to Mancora, with sunny weather and warmer water year-round and good surfing from December to March. The journey ends at Tumbes, site of Peru's only mangroves, protected in a national park. It's just a few minutes from here by taxi to the Ecuador border.

A nonstop Lima to Tumbes bus can cover the 1270km along the Panamericana Norte in about 18 hours, but unless you are in a hurry to reach Ecuador, you'll want to spend a minimum of a week, or two weeks if beach relaxation and taking in the sights is to be part of your journey.