By road, Caraz and Máncora are about 547 miles (880 km) apart, or roughly 13 h 12 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Distance | 547 mi (880 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 13 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-3N → PE-12 → PE-1NQ → PE-1N → LI-585 → LI-508 |
| Regions on the route | Áncash, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Piura |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Caraz to Máncora drive plays out
PE-1N (402 mi) and PE-3N (64 mi) carry about 85% of the 547 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Áncash, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Piura. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Caraz to Máncora, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Áncash |
| PE-3N | 1–65 | 64 | Áncash |
| PE-12 | 65–105 | 40 | Áncash |
| PE-1NQ | 105–110 | 5 | Áncash, La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 110–178 | 68 | La Libertad |
| connecting roads | 178–180 | 2 | La Libertad |
| local roads | 180–188 | 8 | La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 188–242 | 54 | La Libertad |
| LI-585 | 242–248 | 6 | La Libertad |
| connecting roads | 248–250 | 2 | La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 250–257 | 7 | La Libertad |
| connecting roads | 257–258 | 1 | La Libertad |
| LI-508 | 258–268 | 10 | La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 268–300 | 32 | La Libertad, Lambayeque |
| local roads | 300–303 | 3 | Lambayeque |
| connecting roads | 303–305 | 2 | Lambayeque |
| PE-1N | 305–546 | 241 | Lambayeque, Piura |
| local roads | 546–547 | 1 | Piura |
- Mile 107 of this route: Áncash → La Libertad (region line)
- Mile 275 of this route: La Libertad → Lambayeque (region line)
- Mile 366 of this route: Lambayeque → Piura (region line)
What to see on the way from Caraz to Máncora
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Pato (mile 48), Huaca del Dragón (mile 183), St. Mary's Cathedral, Chiclayo (mile 303), Brüning Museum (mile 310), Parque ecológico Kurt Beer (mile 434)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Pato (mile 48), Calipuy National Reserve (mile 70)
- Museums and history: Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (mile 177), Huaca del Dragón (mile 183), St. Mary's Cathedral, Chiclayo (mile 303), Brüning Museum (mile 310), Piura Cathedral (mile 432)
- With kids: Parque ecológico Kurt Beer (mile 434)
Cañón del Pato
Carved by the Santa River where the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra come closest, Cañón del Pato is a narrow river canyon in the Áncash region.
Calipuy National Reserve
Set aside mainly to protect guanaco populations, Calipuy National Reserve is a protected area in Peru's La Libertad region.
Huaca del Sol
Near the volcanic peak of Cerro Blanco in the Moche Valley outside Trujillo, the Huaca del Sol is an adobe brick pyramid built by the Moche civilization.
Huacas del Sol y de la Luna
About five kilometers south of Trujillo in Moche District, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna are a Moche sanctuary made up of adobe pyramids and monuments.
Huaca del Dragón
Near Chan Chan in Trujillo, Huaca del Dragón, also called Huaca del Arco Iris, is an archaeological site that served as a religious, administrative and ceremonial center.
St. Mary's Cathedral, Chiclayo
Chiclayo Cathedral, seat of the Diocese of Chiclayo, is a neoclassical church begun in 1869 to plans commissioned from Gustave Eiffel.
Brüning Museum
Two blocks from Lambayeque's main square, the Brüning Museum opened in 1966 and grew from the collections of German researcher Hans Heinrich Brüning.
Piura Cathedral
Piura Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, is a Catholic church in the city of Piura.
Parque ecológico Kurt Beer
Covering 75 hectares in Piura, Parque ecológico Kurt Beer includes a zoo with spectacled bears, monkeys, deer and red-headed parrots; the nearby Santa Julia wetland hosts around 90 bird species.
More drives to Máncora
- Trujillo to Máncora
- Chimbote to Máncora
- Casma to Máncora
- Moyobamba to Máncora
- Chota to Máncora
- Cajamarca to Máncora
From Caraz to other places in Peru
- Caraz to Huanchaco
- Caraz to Malabrigo
- Caraz to Churin
- Caraz to Aguaytía
- Caraz to Oxapampa
- Caraz to La Merced
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Caraz to Máncora?
About 13 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 547 miles.
What is the driving distance from Caraz to Máncora?
About 547 miles (880 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Caraz to Máncora drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Caraz to Máncora?
In order: PE-3N, PE-12, PE-1NQ, PE-1N, LI-585 and LI-508. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Caraz to Máncora?
Closest to the road: Cañón del Pato (canyon, mile 48, 0.3 mi from the route); Huaca del Dragón (archaeological site, mile 183, 0.2 mi from the route); Brüning Museum (archaeological museum, mile 310, 0.1 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.