I visited Chan Chan on my 2020 South American trip. It is an impressive archaeological site from a great civilization. It is probably among the most important archaeological sites in South America. This is the largest adobe city in the world. With all those superlatives, you probably wonder why I only gave it a harsh two stars (the lowest rating at the time of writing this review). It is, in fact, because it is the largest adobe city in the world.

Adobe is essentially dried mud. The durability of this building material is thus rather low. Chan Chan is really vast, but everything you can see is piles of mud, everywhere around. This site is not In Danger since its inscription in 1986 for no reason. I recognize the importance and the great OUV of this site, but visiting it left me wanting more. I reached the site by city bus from Trujillo (once you've figured out which bus you need to take, it's quite easy). From the road, I've walked to the Palacio Nik-An. The path is bordered with interpretation boards. They are interesting, but again, there's not much to see.

On the other hand, the Palacio Nik-An, the only part of the site restored and accessible to visitors, has absolutely no information displayed (Strangely, this is often the case in Peru for sites where self-guided tours are allowed while sites where having a guide is mandatory frequently exhibit useless interpretation boards.). I avoided the expensive guided tour and helped myself with my Lonely Planet (the brochure mentioned by Zoë was not available at the time of my visit). As stated by previous reviewers, the restoration is slightly exaggerated and gives everything a fake-looking appearance. This sensation is exacerbated by the pitiful aspect of every other part of the site. Surely, some high reliefs are beautiful, and the Chimu culture is fascinating, but it takes a little more to make it a memorable visit. When I exited the Palacio, I looked for the next path but soon realized it was already over and I had seen everything this gigantic site has to offer. I left slightly disillusioned that such a tiny part of the site could be seen.

After this, I walked back to Trujillo with some en route visits. I first reached the small and disappointing site museums. Many exhibits were incomplete or not functional. I tried to hike from there following the bike path leading back to Nik-An to get a better feel of the place but security guards wouldn't let me use the marked trail. I surrendered and kept walking to Huaca Esmeralda. The friezes on this building seemed more authentic and even though it is very small, I am glad I made this stop.

Other sites around Trujillo are worth mentioning. Huacas del Sol y de la Luna are amazing world-class sites. Those are the real gems around Trujillo and should not be missed. The historic center of Trujillo is also on Peru's T-list. I walked around the beautifully colored churches and buildings twice and really appreciated it. It reminded me of Puebla in some aspects. However, I don't think it would add much to the WHL and gave it thumbs down. I reached Trujillo on a night bus from Cajamarca and made it next to Casma for Sechin and Chankillo.