Pimentel is a wonderful seaside town to visit, it captures the charm of northern Peru with beautiful climate year round, delicious cuisine in the home-style restaurants or you can head to the waterfront for more swankier places. You will be blown away by the fresh seafood, the fishermen and their famous totora reed fishing boats, a market full of fresh fish and exotic fruits and vegetables and a welcoming close-knit community that you can be a part of. The waves attract surfers from all over and the town has a number of surf-schools. It is centrally located close to the Pan-American highway making it easy for our students to travel on the weekends to many of the fascinating nearby locations.

Chiclayo is the fourth most populous city in Peru and is just half an hour away. The city boasts a huge market which sells anything and everything and is especially renown for the shamans potions. Real Plaza is frequented by our students, a complex with bars, cinemas and an array of Western shops. Chiclayo also has a great nightlife, the center has a number of clubs or Las Musas is a popular bar district. There are a variety of museums and ancient Incan sites to visit and all in all you will find a beautiful mesh of culture, history and amusements.

Chiclayo is the hub of a cluster of districts making up the Lambayeque region, which has made a name for itself with its archeological treasures. The Lord of Sipán was the first of several mummies to be discovered in Huaca Rajada. The many museums and historical sites in the region showcase some of the extraordinary artifacts discovered.
 
While Peruvians are already warm and welcoming, Chiclayo takes it one step further, earning the nickname of “la Ciudad de la Amistad” (The City of Friendship). Over 600,000 people inhabit this northern city, situated only 8 mi from the Pacific Ocean. All around this metropolis are wonderful archaeological treasures, including the famous Lord of Sipán, a prominent king of Peru’s Moche culture. The greater Lambayeque region also has fabulous beaches, which are teeming with vacationers in the summer months of December, January, and February.

The capital of Lambayeque region, Chiclayo, was founded in the 16th century by Spanish missionaries who capitalized on its strategic location between the mountains, jungle, and coast, but the history of the Lambayeque region goes back centuries. Its oldest culture is the Moche people, known for their pottery skills. Around the 700s, the Lambayeque culture rose to power before being conquered in 1375 by the warring Chimú. They left behind many evidences of their life here, which can be seen in the many local museums.

The most famous archaeological site around Chiclayo is Sipán, governed by the prominent Moche leader, the Lord of Sipán. His tomb was untouched until local archaeologist Walter Alva uncovered his ornate burial chamber in 1987. Now the ornate artifacts are on display—as well as the Lord himself—at the ‘Royal Tombs of Sipán’ Museum in Lambayeque. Another site, Túcume, rivals Egypt’s pyramids with its 26 structures nestled in Peru’s own Valley of the Pyramids.

Time seems to pass more slowly, and people are relaxed and friendly. Despite its huge population, Chiclayo offers a traditional Peruvian atmosphere. Museums and the dense history only scratch the surface as Chiclayo is known for its delicious cuisine and beautiful cityscapes with markets, shops and decent nightlife that you are sure to enjoy.
Besides the pleasant climate all year round and the seaside location, the biggest advantage of Chiclayo is the proximity to the Pan-American Highway. This allows you to travel quickly and easily to touristic highlights in Peru and Ecuador.