Barranca (Peru)

Though Barranca is not an especially attractive place, it does always have a good atmosphere. In short, this is a town that simply never stops. And that's also true of the noise: vehicle horns in the streets and reggaeton and cumbia music at full blast in the taxis and shops, the lambada as a vehicle reversing warning sound (honestly), street hawkers trying to sell everything you can imagine via crackly loudspeakers, etc.

You may not find all this very pleasant when you first experience it. Nevertheless, it is fairly typical of Peru's cities and large towns in general, as you'll discover for yourself during your trip to the country!

But all this notwithstanding, I did actually enjoy my visit to this town and the province that shares its name. There are various things to do in the area, with the main highlight being a visit to the city left behind by no less than the most ancient civilisation of the Americas, namely the Carals. The site itself, though fascinating, is not very well-known, which means it does not yet receive excessive numbers of visitors. It is, of course, a good idea to do the tour in the company of a guide, who will be able to tell you about the discoveries that have been made there and the mysteries that surround the place. Another site to visit is that of Aspero, at Supe Puerto. As I didn't actually go there myself, I don't have any review to offer. However, I did find the little museum in Supe to be exceptionally interesting and well thought out. 

Something else you can do when visiting the area is grab your towel and head off to Chorillos Beach. It's always nice to spend a bit of time relaxing and taking things easy, even if this particular beach, like the city itself, is pretty far from wonderful.