Getting in Piura

Most bus comapnies are on the Avenida Sanchez Cerro on block 11 and 12. It’s 14 hours and 14 dollar to Lima. 3 hours and 3 bucks to Chiclayo, 7 to Trujillo (change bus in Chiclayo), 5 to Tumbes.

There are frequent buses to Sullana just 20 minutes. From there you can find onward transport to the border with Ecuador.

Geography of Piura

The territory of this department varies depending on the area. The coast has a smooth topography, while the highlands are rough. This area is also covered with desert plains. The Sechura desert is the lowest area in the country measuring 37 meters under sea level.

To the east, the region is rougher. Valleys had been eroded over time due to the rains. The highest peak in the area is more than 3,000 meters. The Paso de Porculla is only 2,138 meters deep and is the lowest of the Peruvian Andes.

The rivers crossing Piura’s territory belong to the Pacific watershed and to the Amazon. The Chira is the most notable. It flows into the Pacific. The Huancabamba is the largest river. The Piura River’s waters only flow into the sea during the rainy season.

The coast and western Andean watersheds have a desert climate. The climate is subtropical in the eastern watersheds. The rain is scarce, but when the “El Nino” phenomenon arises, flooding becomes a real danger.

Piura is the land of carob trees. Popular businesses in the area include fishing and the exporting of petroleum.

Culture and Folklore of Piura

Piura is host to a stunning mestizo culture (the oldest in South America 1532, Piura is the first Spanish city in south America) most famous for gastronomical dishes like Secho de Chavelo (the local dish), Algarrobina drinks, many types of Cebiche and Natilla Sweets.

Popular crafts are the Chulucana Pottery and Catacaos is famous for its “Hats” and “Silversmith” arts.

The Tondero and Cumanana is the traditional dance of mestizo Piura and northern Lambayeque, as well as the famous Peruvian valse (northern Peruvians have their style).

“Chicha Music” now called Tecnocumbia (originally a Peruvian styled cumbia), is also quite popular all over, as well as Salsa among youngsters.

History of Pirua

Like most of northern Peru, the territory of Piura had been inhabited by their autochthonous group of natives called tallanes (caribean origin) and yungas. These lived without an organization or single leader to rule until the Mochicas eventually took control and the mixture of these evolved into the Vicus Culure. Centuries later, Piura came under the rule of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, at least for around 40 years and before the Spanish arrived.

With the arrival of the Spanish in 1532, the mestizo and creole culture of actual Piura were born. This mestizo culture includes influences from Spanish Extremadura and Andalucia, African influence due to the arrival of slaves from Madagascar (Malgache slaves), the Chinese coolies that migrated from Canton to work the rice fields and replace the slaves; and also Roma gypsies who came as pirates looking for pearls or as incongite Spanish horsemen.

Colonial legacy

Piura served as the first main port through which the Inca gold the Spaniards had gathered was shipped back to Spain. Already in 1534, Sebastian de Belalcazar, one of Pizarro’s men, left Piura to conquer the Inca bastion in Quito.

As the most ancient colonial city in Peru, its location was changed three times before it was established on its present location. The cathedral of Piura was built in 1588. The altar is covered in gold leaf and has a painting of Ignacio Merino, a renowned Peruvian artist.

Introducation of Piura

Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 359,400. It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the first Spanish city in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in 1532. Piura declared its indepedence on January 4, 1821.Piura is such a merry city that its inhabitants talk in singsong tones.

It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the first Spanish city in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in 1532. The city’s colonial churches house valuable collections of colonial art, while the town of Catacaos is famous for its fine straw and cotton arts and crafts, gold and silver filigree and delicious dishes served up at local eateries called picanterias.

The coastal stretch of the department of Piura provides a variety of circuits for visitors. Near Tumbes lies Mancora, a beach resort with pure white sand and a tranquil sea. Further south is Cabo Blanco, an ideal spot for surfing as it boasts some of the best waves in the Pacific Ocean. Cabo Blanco was famous amongst the US jetset in the 1950s for its world records in deepsea fishing, which attracted regular visitors such as novelist Ernest Hemingway. Colan is the beach resort for the city of Piura, a resort where the homes stand on stilts by the sea.

Higher up in the Piura highlands lies the town of Chulucanas, which is famous for its superb pottery. The province of Huancabamba, meanwhile, is home to Las Huaringas, a chain of lakes whose waters are believed to have medicinal properties. The area is the capital of folk healing and traditional medicine.

Any time of year is a good time to soak in the Piura sun and taste the local fermented maize beer chicha de jora. Visitors can gaze out over the Sechura desert, the largest in Peru, and practice water sports on rivers and lakes. The city’s colonial churches house valuable collections of colonial art, while the town of Catacaos is famous for its fine straw and cotton arts and crafts , gold and silver filigree and delicious dishes served up at local eateries called picanterias. (more…)