There is more than one Callao in the world. Spain has its own, and in Latin America alone, there are five, but the one on the Peruvian coast has a rich fishing tradition and port that gives it a unique identity, where the local, or chalaco, has its own rhythm in his walk, surely the result of his first steps taken to the rhythm of salsa, the musical genre that is almost a local cult.
At the end of Callao is La Punta, which derives its name from its location at the tip of the coast. Once home to the piti-piti, a culture of native fishermen, it was eventually converted into a beach resort. Cantolao, its emblematic beach covered in stones, walked by tiny white crabs, is where every resident of Callao takes their first dip, and the reason for the popularity that eventually turned this destination into a district, which today enjoys a peculiar architecture composed of heterogeneous styles that seem to have been taken from different eras. A visit to La Punta can be summed up by enjoying the salty breeze, witnessing the reddish blanket of its summer sunsets, and trying its classic bread with pejerrey.
Fuente: Callao Monumental
On the route to the Historic Center of Callao, from a bench, greet the statue of the national hero, Miguel Grau, located in front of the colorful houses of Chucuito, a neighborhood that, in pre-Hispanic times, was also home to the piti-piti, and that, later, was inhabited by migrant fishermen from Italy and Spain, who gave the neighborhood its current appearance, building the houses with the wood from their boats.
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Fuente: Callao Monumental
Following the route, between colorful facades, old balconies and lanterns from yesteryear, the emblematic buildings of the Historic Center of Callao begin to rise. Such as the Real Felipe, a fortress that was built to protect the port from pirates, the Plaza Matriz, with a large reception area and a view of the dock, where its charming church displays the white and pink, the emblematic colors of Callao; and seafood restaurants, whose long tradition and culinary mystique have turned them into local emblems.
Fuente: Callao Monumental
In the heart of this old Callao, Callao Monumental was born, an urban art proposal that attracts national and foreign visitors. Restored facades, and others decorated with the work of urban artists, welcome visitors to the galleries, and to try a variety of gastronomic proposals. Casa Ronald is at the center of this artistic initiative, it was built in the 1920s, and stood out for being the tallest building in Callao, six floors, which today house contemporary art exhibits, culminating in a rooftop for cultural events. It is an ideal place for a relaxed walk among urban art.