Chepen offers two distinct occasions to plan your stay around: the Festividad de San Sebastián takes place in January, and the Stations of the Cross on Cerro Chepén during Holy Week. The surrounding area also has a range of destinations, from a small ceramics museum to a seaside resort. First consider whether the procession, the pilgrimage route, or one of these destinations is the main draw for you.
Festividad de San Sebastián: procession and rice-harvest performance
The Festividad de San Sebastián de Chepén is recognized as Cultural Heritage of the Peruvian Nation. It takes place every year from January 8 to 22; the main day is January 20. If you would like to plan your trip around this occasion, check the program for the year in question.
On the main day, the procession of Saint Sebastian passes through Chepen’s main streets. It stops at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception and ends at the Plaza de Armas. This route connects several specific places in the city. The annual schedule may change, so it is worth checking the current program before your trip.
The festival also includes the Danza de la Cosecha del Arroz. It depicts the work of a devout farmer sowing and harvesting rice. Alongside the procession, the performance offers another perspective on the celebration: its focus is on the portrayal of agricultural work.
Semana Santa: the pilgrimage route on Cerro Chepén
A different religious occasion marks Holy Week. The Stations of the Cross on Cerro Chepén has been held annually as a pilgrimage route during Semana Santa since 1984. It is therefore a separate time to visit, not part of the January festival period. If you are choosing between the two occasions, plan according to whether you would like to experience the January festival or the pilgrimage route during Holy Week.
The platform for the Cerro Chepén Stations of the Cross is listed as 517.43 meters from the Plaza de Armas in Chepen. The mototaxi ride is listed as taking five minutes. These figures refer to the route between the plaza and the platform; they provide a specific point of reference, not information about other routes or destinations.
Museum, Mochica heritage, and the sea nearby
Casona Talambo is five kilometers from Chepen and houses a small museum with a ceramics collection. San José de Moro is a small community on the right bank of the Río Chamán in the Jequetepeque Valley, in the Pacanga District of Chepén Province. It is home to one of the region’s most important cemeteries and ceremonial centers of the Mochica and later cultures.
Playa Chérrepe is 45 minutes from Chepen. The seaside resort offers a natural setting and the chance to enjoy the sea. The destinations have clearly different focuses: at Talambo, the emphasis is on the museum and ceramics; at San José de Moro, on Mochica heritage; and at Chérrepe, on the coast. This lets you choose according to the subject that interests you most, in addition to the events in Chepen.
Plan your stay around the occasion and your interests
The festival takes place in January, while the Stations of the Cross are part of Holy Week. Nearby destinations offer different experiences and can be considered separate excursions, rather than being treated as part of the festival days. If you are traveling for the festival, check the program for the year in question, as the schedule may change.
Discover more destinations: Ciudad De Dios, Pacasmayo, Puerto Malabrigo, Mollepata District, San Pedro de Lloc, La Punta District.
View the regional travel overview: La Libertad.
