Paita

Paita (formerly San Francisco de la Buena Esperanza ) is a port town in the eponymous province 640 km northwest of the capital Lima, and 90 km north- west of the regional capital of Piura.

Location

The port city of Paita situated on a peninsula south of the mouth of the Río Chira on an area of 1,785 km ². Paita is located on the " Bay of Paita ," protected from the southerly winds by the headland of Punta Paita with the ridge Silla de Paita. The port is the second most important of Peru after from Callao.

90 km south of Paita the regional center of Piura and is located 160 km to the south lies Chiclayo, Lambayeque commercial center of the region.

Population

The population of the port city of Paita grew from 3,800 residents in 1906 to 97,500 in 2003.

History

From 1578 to 1588 Paita was the Spanish capital of Peru's north-west coast, through the ongoing attacks by English pirates and corsairs, however, the transfer of the capital in today's Piura was necessary.

The port city of Paita is many Peruvians especially well known as a former residence of Manuela Sáenz, the lover of liberation hero Simón Bolívar.

Economy and infrastructure

In 1875, a 97 km long railway line between Piura and Paita was completed, the saltpeter with Chile ( 1879-1883 ) destroyed and in 1884 returned to service. From 30 August 1891 until the late 1920s, there was also a tram line in Paita.

Today is the seaport of Paita Peru's fifth largest port and a major container port. It is situated in a geopolitically important location on the Pacific coast, because here ends a rail link across the Andes to Puerto Limon, which connects to the Brazilian Maraflon at the headwaters of the Amazon.

Paita is one of the best natural harbors on the Peruvian coast, from where there are regular boat links to Valparaiso and Panama.

Festivals

On 24 September each year, a week long celebration the "Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes", including with pilgrimages in honor of the Virgin Mary.