Plan on about 11 h 8 min of driving for the 418-mile (672 km) trip from Celendín to Caraz, before any stops.
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 | 418 mi (672 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-08B → CA-1541 → CA-1526 → PE-08 → LI-571 → LI-585 → PE-1N → PE-1NQ → PE-12 → PE-3N |
| Regions on the route | Cajamarca, La Libertad, Áncash |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Celendín to Caraz: the shape of the trip
PE-1N (121 mi) and PE-08 (101 mi) carry about 53% of the 418 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Cajamarca, La Libertad, Áncash. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Celendín and Caraz
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Cajamarca |
| PE-08B | 1–5 | 4 | Cajamarca |
| connecting roads | 5–6 | 1 | Cajamarca |
| CA-1541 | 6–16 | 10 | Cajamarca |
| PE-08B | 16–35 | 19 | Cajamarca |
| connecting roads | 35–37 | 2 | Cajamarca |
| CA-1526 | 37–40 | 3 | Cajamarca |
| connecting roads | 40–42 | 2 | Cajamarca |
| PE-08B | 42–58 | 16 | Cajamarca |
| connecting roads | 58–59 | 1 | Cajamarca |
| PE-08 | 59–160 | 101 | Cajamarca |
| connecting roads | 160–164 | 4 | Cajamarca, La Libertad |
| LI-571 | 164–169 | 5 | La Libertad |
| LI-585 | 169–175 | 6 | La Libertad |
| connecting roads | 175–178 | 3 | La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 178–230 | 52 | La Libertad |
| local roads | 230–239 | 9 | La Libertad |
| PE-1N | 239–308 | 69 | La Libertad |
| PE-1NQ | 308–312 | 4 | La Libertad, Áncash |
| PE-12 | 312–352 | 40 | Áncash |
| PE-3N | 352–417 | 65 | Áncash |
| local roads | 417–418 | 1 | Áncash |
- Mile 162 of this route: Cajamarca → La Libertad (region line)
- Mile 310 of this route: La Libertad → Áncash (region line)
Places worth a stop between Celendín and Caraz
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Huaca Esmeralda (mile 236), Cañón del Pato (mile 370)
- Nature and outdoors: Calipuy National Reserve (mile 347), Cañón del Pato (mile 370)
- Museums and history: Ventanillas de Otuzco (mile 54), St. Catherine's Cathedral, Cajamarca (mile 58), Huaca Esmeralda (mile 236), Museo de Arte Moderno Gerardo Chávez (mile 239), Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (mile 240)
Ventanillas de Otuzco
About 8 km northwest of Cajamarca, in Baños del Inca district, the Ventanillas de Otuzco are a Peruvian archaeological site worth a short detour.
St. Catherine's Cathedral, Cajamarca
Known as Cajamarca Cathedral, St. Catherine's Cathedral is the main Catholic place of worship in the city of Cajamarca.
Swamps of Huanchaco
Also called the Wetlands of Huanchaco, this reserve at Huanchaco Beach, about 14 km northwest of Trujillo, supplied the reeds that the Moche used to build caballitos de totora fishing boats.
Huaca Esmeralda
Huaca Esmeralda is an adobe building of the Chimú culture in Trujillo, believed to date from the culture's first stage of development and closely linked to its capital, Chan Chan.
Museo de Arte Moderno Gerardo Chávez
Painter Gerardo Chávez created the Museo de Arte Moderno Gerardo Chávez in Trujillo, La Libertad, in 2006.
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.
Calipuy National Reserve
Set aside mainly to protect guanaco populations, Calipuy National Reserve is a protected area in Peru's La Libertad region.
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.
Once you reach Caraz
Tumshukayko
Near Caraz in Ancash's Huaylas Province, Tumshukayko is a pre-Inca archaeological site discovered only recently and still under research.
Caraz Museum
The Caraz Museum, officially the Museo Municipal Hernán Osorio Herrera, is a municipal museum in Caraz district, Huaylas Province, in Peru's Ancash region.
More drives to Caraz
- Huaraz to Caraz
- Casma to Caraz
- Barranca to Caraz
- Huánuco to Caraz
- Huaral to Caraz
- Cerro de Pasco to Caraz
From Celendín to other places in Peru
- Celendín to Malabrigo
- Celendín to Huanchaco
- Celendín to Casma
- Celendín to Máncora
- Celendín to Zorritos
- Celendín to Churin
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Celendín to Caraz?
About 11 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 418 miles.
How far is Caraz from Celendín by car?
About 418 miles (672 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 Celendín to Caraz drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Celendín to Caraz?
In order: PE-08B, CA-1541, CA-1526, PE-08, LI-571, LI-585, PE-1N, PE-1NQ, PE-12 and PE-3N. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Celendín and Caraz?
Closest to the road: Ventanillas de Otuzco (archaeological site, mile 54, 2 mi from the route); Huaca Esmeralda (archaeological site, mile 236, 0.8 mi from the route); Cañón del Pato (canyon, mile 370, 0.2 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.