---

Founded in 1596 on a pre-Columbian site, the city of Huaura is a peaceful corner where the traveler can enjoy its streets full of history, soft and undulating beaches, and cherry blossoms.



It was Viceroy Luis de Velasco who founded it when he made a trip from Paita to Lima before taking over the leadership of the Peruvian viceroyalty. Its original name was Carrión de Velasco, a tribute to a possession that the representative of the Spanish monarch had in Spain.



In 1685 it was sacked by the English pirate Eduardo David. It is in that century when its population of African origin begins to grow. At the end of the next century there were 774 slaves, 319 indigenous people, 302 mestizos and only 146 Spaniards in the area.



In 1820, the liberator Don José de San Martín proclaimed Independence from the balcony of his headquarters. That old house is still preserved and is one of the main attractions of its beautiful Plaza Mayor



At present it is a museum that exhibits historical pieces from the republican period: the Liberator's flag, furniture, archive with historical documents, photos. Also an interesting sampler of pre-Hispanic ceramics from the Acaray and Rontoy areas.



In 1836 it was the seat of the Constituent Assembly of the North-Peruvian State, one of the bases of what was in those years the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation.



Small, proud of its history, and of its productive and graceful countryside, Huaura is located 153 kilometers north of Greater Lima on the Pan-American Highway.



It is a province of the Lima region that includes 12 districts: Huacho, Huaura, Hualmay, Végueta, Santa María, Sayán, Ambar, Paccho, Leoncio Prado, Checras, Carquín and Santa Leonor.





Another of the places of interest in Huaura is the Casona de la ex-hacienda Rontoy, a colonial-style construction that is located three kilometers from the Plaza Mayor.



It also offers the traveler the Casa Hacienda el Ingenio, 500 meters down an unpaved road. It is a Monumental and Historical Heritage of the province of Huaura.



Be sure to visit the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Carmen. It is located in front of the Huaura bridge, just three blocks before reaching the Plaza Mayor. It is a church built on the edge of the Huaura River and is embedded in the hill.



And be sure to try the cherry liqueur. It is the specialty of the area.

---