Callao
Callao, Peru – port code CA2 Macchu Picchu
Callao is the port of call for Lima, the ancient capital of Peru. From Callao, tourists travel to the ancient Inca cities of Cuzco, and Macchu Picchu (located high in the Andean foothills). Callao was an important port for the conquering Spaniards in the 1500's; it was from Calleo that gold and silver (taken from the Incas) were shipped to Spain. The Real Felipe fortress withstood a number of sieges by Spanish forces during the wars of independence and after Simon Bolívar landed here in 1823, it was also the scene of the final surrender of Spain.
Labeled inhospitable by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, the open plains where Lima now stands were transformed into the political and military capital of the New World. This "City of Kings" would see the reigns of 40 viceroys, their power concentrated in the graceful Plaza de Armas, until it was declared the capital of Peru in 1821. Nearby stretches one of the driest deserts on earth, an area that offered little interest to visitors until early this century. Scientist Paul Kosok, flying over the dry coastal area, noticed lines in the ground that locals had believed to be part of an ancient irrigation system. Travelling on the day of the summer solstice, Kosok discovered that the line of the sunset ran along the directions of one of the Nasca bird drawings. Thus the world was introduced to "the biggest astronomy book in the world."
General Information
- Ship berths alongside.
- Points of Interest: Real Felipe Fortress, Inca cities of Cuzco & mist-veiled Macchu Picchu
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