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Peru Opens Ancient City of Peñico to Tourists Ahead of Raymi Festival

Now featuring walking routes through preserved ruins, the site is set for traditional ceremonies at the July 12 Peñico Raymi festival.

Aerial view of the archaeological zone in the northern Barranca province as archaeologists on Thursday unveiled a 3,500-year-old city in Peru that likely served as a trading hub linking Pacific coast cultures with those in the Andes and Amazon, flourishing around the same time as early civilizations in the Middle East and Asia, in the northern Barranca province, Peru in this undated handout photo released on July 3, 2025. Caral Archaeological Zone/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES
Experts believe Peñico, founded around 1800 BC, served as a strategic urban center, linking the coastal communities of the Supe Valley with settlements in the high Andes and Amazon.
Image
Image of Penico, from the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.

Overview

  • Peru’s Ministry of Culture officially opened Peñico on July 3, unveiling digital reconstructions, reception facilities and visitor services.
  • The site includes a modern interpretation center, marked walking routes and reception areas among 18 excavated public and residential structures.
  • Archaeologists uncovered a monumental building yielding clay sculptures, ceremonial tools and conch-shell pututu trumpets once used for gatherings and rituals.
  • Researchers say Peñico followed the Caral urban tradition and served as a key trade hub linking coastal, highland and Amazonian communities, notably in hematite pigment exchange.
  • Officials are finalizing arrangements for the inaugural Peñico Raymi festival, which will honor the goddess Pachamama with traditional rituals and cultural performances on July 12.