The ruins of Chan Chan is located 5 km Northwest from the town of Trujillo, in the once fertile valley of the river of Urine. This city was the largest in pre-Hispanic America. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu Kingdom (700-1400 ad), covering the area of 20 sq km of the port of Huanchaco is Cerro Campana. Archaeologists believe that there were more than 100,000 people.

The once great city of the Chimu Kingdom, today is a huge maze of massive walls, many of which are badly damaged. But you can see and appreciate the remains of well-planned streets that intersect at right angles. Complex waterworks that brought water from considerable distances territories Mochiko and Chicama, are still visible and can safely be called a marvel of engineering even today. Among the facilities you can recognize cemeteries and other objects that may have been markets, workshops and barracks.

Chan Chan consisted of 10 large rectangular sectors of the correct form. Each sector was surrounded by high walls, fencing street, large and small houses, pyramids, warehouses with food and water tanks. Preserved remains of buildings with different height ceilings and a limited number of doors and Windows. There are houses with one room, a low ceiling and one door with no Windows. Huge walls richly decorated with geometric shapes and stylized zoomorphic and mythological creatures.

The ruins of Chan-Chan were listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1986. In 2010, the world heritage Centre, UNESCO has launched a project to preserve the ruins of Chan-Chan from destruction. Currently volunteers from Spain, France, Belgium, Romania and South Korea are working on this project.