Things to Do in Chepen

The main market with stalls piled high with local fruit, vegetables, and fresh cheeses. A few tiny eateries serve ceviche and chicharrón at street-food prices.

🕐 Daily 06:00–18:00

💡 The best ceviche is at stall 23 (look for the blue awning). Arrive by 10am for the freshest fish and before the crowd.

An unrestored Moche pyramid complex where you can walk among crumbling adobe walls. No facilities or signage — it's raw, but offers a sense of scale and silence.

🕐 Always open; access via a farm track

💡 Combine with Huaca Pintada, as both are on the same dirt track. Best visited early morning to avoid heat and potential livestock blocking the path.

The central square with a bandstand, mature trees, and benches. Locals gather here in the evenings for ice cream or just to sit. It's modest but the heart of town.

🕐 24 hours

💡 Go around 6pm for the coolest air and to see the town come alive. The church next door sometimes has free evening concerts.

A small municipal museum housing Moche and Chimú pottery, textiles, and tools found in local excavations. Only a few rooms, but the artefacts are well-labelled in Spanish.

🕐 Mon–Fri 09:00–13:00, 15:00–17:00; Sat 09:00–12:00

💡 Ask the guard to unlock the back room — it contains the best ceramic pieces. Entry is 2 soles; students free.

A pre-Columbian mud-brick pyramid with colourful, well-preserved murals of the Moche culture. The site is small but significant, with guided tours explaining the iconography.

🕐 Mon–Sun 08:00–16:00

💡 Bring a hat and water; there's no shade, and the afternoon sun is brutal. The small entry fee (roughly 3 soles) is cash-only.