Roaming South America

Tumbes, Perú

January 18, 2023

Tumbes, Perú: Population: around 115,000. The entire metropolitan area has a population of about 171,000. The town sits at the high elevation of 6 meters (20 feet). Alongside the town runs the Tumbes River. The photo above is a monument to lovers, this is something you'll never see in public in North America.

The origin of the town dates way back to the pre-Inca era when it was inhabited by the Tumpis people. At one point they had a population of about 178,000. Then after the year 1400, the Incas came in and took over the area and made it an important political center. Then a later Inca emperor started the construction of roads, houses, and palaces. The Spanish conquistador Pizzaro conquered the Incas and took over Tumbes in 1532. Then ensued fights over the Tumbes region starting with the Republic of Gran Colombia claiming it, then later Ecuador claimed it, then came the Perú-Ecuador war in 1941-42. Perú eventually won and was given the region of Tumbes. That was a long time in coming, actually, and occurred in 1998.