Chan Chan wins inclusion award on 20 October 2026

Chan Chan won Peru’s Inclusion and Disability 2026 award on 20 October 2026 for a programme that has widened access to its archaeological heritage. The Ministry of Culture initiative, Chan Chan para Todos, worked with 1,107 people at the site near Trujillo, including people with disabilities and older visitors.

Chan Chan para Todos receives the 2026 inclusion award

The programme was developed through the Special Archaeological Complex Chan Chan Project, known as Pecach, and received the Arte y Cultura category prize in the sixth national Inclusion and Disability competition. The competition was organised by Conadis, Peru’s National Council for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities.

The official announcement says that 335 people with disabilities and 772 older people benefited from the initiative. Its activity at the archaeological complex comprised 48 practical workshops and 27 accessible guided visits to the Site Museum and the Nik An walled complex. The Ministry of Culture announcement records that the award ceremony took place in Lima and was attended by Pecach representatives.

For visitors, the significance is practical rather than ceremonial. The programme has introduced ramps, accessible toilets, sign-language videos, raised-relief replicas with Braille information and a sensory wall carrying Chimu iconography. It also includes a workshop classroom and spaces intended to support emotional self-regulation.

Accessibility connects Nik An with Chan Chan’s wider history

The facilities relate directly to the way the site presents its history. Workshops in clay modelling allow participants, including people with autism, to explore Chimu forms through touch and making, while accessible tours connect those experiences with the museum and Nik An.

UNESCO describes the Chan Chan Archaeological Zone as the capital of the ancient Chimu Kingdom and one of the largest pre-Hispanic earthen-architecture cities in the Americas. The Chimu Kingdom reached its peak in the fifteenth century before the Incas took control. The UNESCO site description says the monumental area covers around six square kilometres and contains nine large rectangular citadels or palaces.

The award therefore highlights a change in how an internationally protected earthen city can be encountered. The same carved surfaces, walls and archaeological spaces that require conservation are now accompanied by tactile, visual and sign-language interpretation for visitors with different access needs.

Visiting Chan Chan: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Inclusion and Disability 2026 award was announced on 20 October 2026 for Chan Chan para Todos, the programme delivered at the site.
• The programme provides accessible guided visits and practical workshops, with ramps, accessible toilets, Braille material, sign-language videos and a sensory wall listed by the Ministry of Culture.
• The archaeological zone lies between the city of Trujillo and the Pacific coast in northern Peru, according to UNESCO.
• The property is an earthen archaeological city with nine major citadels or palaces and a monumental area of around six square kilometres.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Chan Chan

When was the Inclusion and Disability 2026 award announced for Chan Chan?

The Ministry of Culture announced the award on 20 October 2026 for Chan Chan para Todos.

What does Chan Chan para Todos provide?

The programme provides accessible guided visits, practical workshops, ramps, Braille material, sign-language videos and sensory interpretation.

Where is Chan Chan and how do you get there?

The archaeological zone is between Trujillo and the Pacific coast in northern Peru. UNESCO identifies Trujillo as the nearby city.