Getting to and away from Piura

Getting to and away Types:
Getting to and away

By Lorraine Caputo

Piura is the crossroads of northern Peru. Many travelers pass through on their way north to Ecuador or south to the heartlands of the country.

Home to an international airport by the name of Guillermo Concha Iberico International Airport, Piura has the second busiest airport in Peru, and is located about 2 km from the main square in Piura.

The city has no central bus terminal. In general, interprovincial buses—to Sullana, Tumbes, Chiclayo, Trujillo and small neighboring towns—leave from Sánchez Cerro, cuadras 11 to 14. A few companies on Sánchez Cerro (Transporte Chiclayo, Ittsa and Línea) also offer direct Lima service.

To Máncora: Eppo—hourly 4 a.m.-9 p.m., $4, 3.5 hours; El Dorado—every 2 hours 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m., $5

To Chiclayo: El Dorado, Línea, Transporte Chiclyo—hourly 5 a.m.-8 p.m., $4, 3 hours

To Trujillo: El Dorado, Línea, ITTSA and others—afternoon and evening departures, $8-14, 6 hours

Combis for Catacaos, Paita, Sullana and smaller villages leave from Terminal Terrestre El Bosque. Collective taxis for Catacaos depart when full from the corner of Calle Lima and Jirón Huancavelica, and from Avenida Loreto and Jirón Tumbes (daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m., $0.50).

Flores, Cial, Civa and other companies providing direct service to Lima leave from the neighborhood around Óvalo Bolognesi ($14-37, 14 hours). Cruz del Sur is a few blocks away at Avenida Circunvalción 161. Most leave 5-8 p.m.

For Huancabamba and Chulucanes, go to Terminal Terrestre de Castilla on the other side of the river.

To Huancabamba: Civa—daily 8:30 a.m. Etipsa—daily 7:45 a.m., 5:45 p.m. TurismoExpress—7:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m. All buses take 6-10 hours depending on weather and road conditions and cost $8.35.

Piura is home to Aeropuerto Guillermo Concha Iberico, located about two kilometers (1.2 mi) from the city’s Plaza de Armas (Av Córpas s/n, Tel.: 7-334-4503 / 334-4505). LAN has three flights per day to Lima ($144-190 one way, 1 hr, 15 min). The airline accepts Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6:50 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Tel.: 305-727 / 302-145, URL: www.lan.com).