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Lima Antigua
Callao and La Punta Together in History
By Christine Mortimer

Callao (1993: pop. 376,165), is the capital of the Constitutional Province of Callao, and the largest and most important port in Peru. The harbor is sheltered by Frontón and San Lorenzo islands and a small peninsula called La Punta.

Callao was founded in 1537; two years after Francisco Pizarro founded Lima, and soon became the main port for Spanish commerce in the Pacific. At the height of the Viceroyalty, virtually all goods produced in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina were carried over the Andes by mule to Callao, to be shipped to Panama, then carried overland to be transported to Spain via Cuba. As the gateway to Lima, Callao was frequently attacked by pirates and buccaneers. Sir Francis Drake sacked the city in 1578.

The Jesuit priest, Bernabé Cobo, mentioned La Punta in his book, Historia de la Fundación de Lima written in 1639. He described the first inhabitants as fishermen known as Pitipiti, who lived in rural huts built on la punta de tierra firme (the point of firm land), which must be today's Cantolao beach.

In Colonial times, there was a row of fishermen's ranchos known as Pitipiti Viejo and/or San Miguel de Mancera that joined La Punta to the Port of Callao.

In 1716, French engineer, Francisco Amadeo Frezier wrote a book, An Exploration Trip through South America, and drew a map on which he indicated La Punta as the 'Point of Callao'. Subject to earthquakes and tsunamis, the city and port were completely destroyed in 1746. Several landmarks from the colonial period still survive. By 1774, La Punta was not mentioned, as it had been absorbed into the general map of Callao.

By 1797, a grand road connecting Lima to Callao, with an impressive gateway into Callao, had been constructed by Viceroy Ambrosio O'Higgins, Marques de Osorno. Born in Ireland, Ambrosio O'Higgins worked there as a road builder and constructor. He used this training to improve overland communications in Argentina, Chile and Peru. During his tenure in Peru, he not only built the road connecting Lima to Callao, but he also fortified the ports of Callao and Pisco. Shortly before his death, he oversaw the final construction of the Cathedral of Lima.

Although Peru had declared independence in 1821, Callao was held by Spanish loyalists until 1826. In 1836, La Punta and Bellavista were integrated into the growing province of Callao. President Ramón Castilla declared Callao a Constitutional Province in 1857. In 1866, during the Battle of Callao, the Spanish fleet tried to re-conquer an already independent Peru. The final victory was thanks to a joint alliance between Peru, Ecuador Chile and Bolivia. The fortress of El Real Felipe and the beaches of La Punta played an important part in this war. In what is now the Regatas Union Club, there was a mobile Armstrong cannon called La Torre de la Merced.

Thirteen years later, La Punta witnessed the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), but without a victory. Callao was occupied (188183) by the Chileans.

In 1889, President Avelino Cáceres defined Callao's limits, in which La Punta was included. The last historic reference to La Punta made was in 1910, in The Annual Directory of Perú, written by Pedro Paulet. He described La Punta's city limits as being formed by two main streets: Jirones Medina and Sáenz Pena, and two secondary ones: Jirón Ucayali and a nameless one. La Punta also contained a large Plaza and several elegant hotels and ranchos for the pleasure of adventurers and summer tourists.

After the War, the country began recuperating economically, fishing flourished, and interest in going to the La Punta beaches made a comeback. On February 13, 1894, President Remigio Morales Bermúdez authorized the extension of the Lima-Callao railway services to La Punta so that more limeños could enjoy the famous beaches.

Thanks to this new railway service, La Punta grew in importance. Around 1895, it became populated by the many foreigners, mainly British, who worked on the building of Callao's docks, as well as with the British Steamship Company. These new residents enjoyed La Punta's delightful, pebble beaches, protected by San Lorenzo Island.

The growth and expansion was a good thing for La Punta, and four new hotels were constructed. The Grand Hotel, (which unfortunately burned down in 1914) and the Eden Hotel were administrated by the well-loved Don Luis Giampietri. The Hotel Bristol was owned by Dr Paulino Fuentes Castro, and the Hotel International by a Frenchman, Don Luis Martinot. The British colony favored this last hotel and during the summer months, sumptuous parties were held, which started or ended with lively football matches! On the other hand, Peruvian families preferred to holiday at the Hotel Bristol, as it was know for its splendid cuisine.

The Peruvian writer, Alfredo Bryce Echenique, remembers from his childhood that it was the accepted thing to own a summer home in La Punta and a winter one in Chosica.

From 1905 to 1911, a German explorer, Max Uhle carried out several archeological and anthropological investigations near Lima, including Pachacamac and La Punta. In 1907, he found several wrapped mummies in La Punta. One of the Ishma (Lima) culture textiles is beautifully woven and has a very artistic design, and at the moment is being restored. Uhle also explored San Lorenzo Island, because it was one of the several places visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, on his third expedition to South America.

The Municipality of La Punta was constructed in 1919 by Mayor Luis Larco del Valle, thanks to an important donation of a hundred thousand soles, by the banker and benefactor of the district, Don Augusto N. Wiese.

In the 1920's, the Hotel Riviera Plaza was the center of La Punta's social life. It was elected in 1926, to host the first jazz concert in Peru, where for the first time; the local gentry could enjoy a live show and dance to the music that was causing such fervor in the U.S. at that time. It is during this era that Mayor Luis Larco built the Malecon Pardo and established the bathing beaches of the newly named district of La Punta. At that time, Ancon and La Punta were the favorite summer playgrounds of the limeños, and the carnival parities in those resorts at the height of the season (February) were famous!

Once again, in 1940 Callao and La Punta were severely damaged by an earthquake. Shortly after that, other beaches became popular; La Punta's beaches were sold and became deserted. In 1943 the beaches of La Punta became property of the municipality.

But today, up-and-coming Callao boasts a modern airport, a university, a newly-reconstructed opera house, and Peru's military and naval schools are in Callao.

La Punta's mayor, Sr. Wilfredo Duharte is working on a development plan to restore some of the beautiful old residential homes that once graced this district in the 'good old days.' Soon those 'good old days' will be today, tomorrow, and a bright new future for La Punta.

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