Callao is one of the six districts that make up the Constitutional Province of Callao. So to make it confusing for everyone Callao is not only the name for the old downtown area, but as well for the district and the whole region around it. The district of Callao stretches along the coast and is located to the west of Lima’s city center.

In prehistoric times the area we know today as Callao was transmigrated by hunters and gatherers. Due to the proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the River Rimac, these people began to fish and soon settled down. Archaeological findings prove that next to fishing, agricultural activities developed quickly and amazing cultures arose in this area.

When the Spanish conquer Francisco Pizarro was looking for a suitable place to built a new capital in the Americas today know as Lima he found this place on the fertile grounds between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. One of the reasons he chose this area for his new city was the proximity to the natural harbour of Callao. During the colonial period Callao was the principal port for Spanish commerce in the Pacific. Spanish trade regulations made sure that goods from all over the Spanish Empire in South America were shipped via the harbour of Callao. This meant that literally all valuable goods like gold and silver from the Peruvian mines and other goods from Peru, Bolivia and Argentina were brought mostly by mule to Callao, to be shipped to Panama, carried overland and then transported by ship to Spain. Products and people from Europe did the way vice versa. Callao was blossoming and became Lima’s gateway to the world. It was a place where goods from South America and Europe were handled and immigrants (especially Italian) found a new place to live.

The wealth passing through the port of Callao made it an ideal target for attacks of pirates. In 1579 the famous and feared Francis Drake raided Callao to seize valuables and merchandise. The Dutch pirate Joris van Spielbergen and Admiral Clerk, better known as Jacques L’Hermite, attacked the port in 1615 and 1624.

Callao also had to put up with a severe natural disaster. On the 28th of October 1746 a strong earthquake, followed by a huge tidal wave hit Callao and destroyed the entire port. According to the chronicles of this time, only about 200 of the 5000 inhabitants of Callao survived.

Due to the importance for the Spanish trade the Viceroy José Manso de Velasco ordered to rebuild Callao even more impressive and to fortify the town. The work for building a new fortress began in 1747. Finally in 1770, the Castillo del Real Felipe (the biggest and most impressive of all fortresses the Spanish crown built overseas) was completed. Still overlooking the bay of Callao the fortress today houses a great museum for military history.

After Peru’s independence Callao played a vital role for the development and economy of Peru. Understanding the significance of the port of Callao, Marshall Andrés de Santa Cruz signed the creation of the Callao Littoral Province on the 20th of August 1836, which gave the town total political autonomy. Many immigrants from Asia and Europe, especially Chinese and Italians, arrived in Callao. In 1851 the first railroad of South America was inaugurated, connecting Callao with Lima. A few years later, on the 22nd of April 1857 Callao became a Constitutional Province. By the end of the 19th century the exploitation of guano (guano = seabird droppings - an effective fertilizer and gunpowder ingredient) on the islands off the coast initiated a boom. After the recession from the War of the Pacific this initiated a new epoch of decent wealth and prosperity for Callao and Lima. This fast increase of guano exports brought sailors from around the world to Callao who wanted to have their share of the cake. Quite a few stayed and Callao like Lima became a multicultural community.

Since Colonial times Callao is Lima’s and Peru’s gateway to the world. And therefore it is only appropriate that the capital’s international airport is located here as well. Named after the famous Peruvian aviator Jorge Chávez, today the airport connects Lima with 16 national and 29 international destinations. But Callao was and probably always will be an independent city with inhabitants being proud to be Chalacos.

Anyhow the district of Callao is worth a visit and full of things to discover!

The Island San Lorenzo

San Lorenzo is the largest island offshore Callao. It’s about 8 km long and 2.2 km wide. The ancient inhabitants of the Callao region worshipped the island as place of the goddess Shina and adored it for its beauty and richness in fish and other seafood. The archaeologist Max Uhle discovered a prehistoric temple and a cemetery with over 3000 graves containing daily utensils, cloth and gold and silver objects. Other famous scientists like Charles Darwin or Antonio Raimondi visited San Lorenzo also and studied the flora, fauna, history and geography of the island.

San Lorenzo is also known as the ‘Mysterious Island’ for its fascinating legends about pirates and hidden treasures. True is that San Lorenzo was a popular and easy to take place for pirates and privateers to hide from authorities and prepare attacks on the wealthy port of Callao and Lima. One of the most famous is probably Jacques L’Hermite, who seated his troops on the island to sack Callao and Lima, but his men were defeated. In 1624 L’Hermite died and was buried on San Lorenzo. During the War of the Pacific (1879 – 1883) the island was used as a naval base, in the beginning of the 20th century as quarantine facility for arriving ships.

Today San Lorenzo is partly a military base and access is controlled by the Peruvian Navy. Numerous seabirds live here in a nearly untouched ecosystem. Nevertheless there are proposed plans to build a gigantic air, naval and terrestrial port on the island of San Lorenzo, called the ‘San Lorenzo Megaport Project’.

The Island El Frontón

The “Island of Death”, as El Frontón is also known, was used since Colonial times as penal colony, penitentiary for common criminals and as a feared political prison. After the well-known prison riot in 1986, which was terminated by the military in a very bloody manner, the prison was finally closed. Today El Frontón is only an immense rock formation in the ocean with deposits of marine salt and clay, but can be visited by interested sightseers.

The Palomino Island

The Palomino Island consists of four islands: La Viuda, Cavinza or as well known as Cabinza, Roca Horadada and Farallón. The gigantic rock formations are a natural refuge for a wide variety of Peruvian animal life. You will find lots of sea lions, sea birds like pelicans, cormorants or Inca tern and the famous Humboldt Penguin. In case you can’t make it to the Ballestas Islands off-shore Paracas a trip to Callao´s Islands is a good alternative to experience an amazing natural spectacle.