{"id":235586,"date":"2025-07-30T23:35:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T21:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/?p=235586"},"modified":"2025-11-27T21:20:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:20:37","slug":"peru-a-new-tourist-route-in-the-footsteps-of-pope-leon-xiv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/peru-a-new-tourist-route-in-the-footsteps-of-pope-leon-xiv\/","title":{"rendered":"Peru: A New Tourist Route in the Footsteps of Pope Le\u00f3n XIV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Some journeys last a weekend, others a week or two\u2026 and then there are those that unfold over decades\u2014across communities, dirt roads, churches, and shared silences. This is the kind of path <strong>Robert Francis Prevost<\/strong>, now Pope Le\u00f3n XIV, walked during his years as a missionary in the land of the Incas. Inspired by his legacy, the Peruvian government has launched \u201c<strong>In the Footsteps of Pope Le\u00f3n XIV,<\/strong>\u201d a new tourist route retracing his steps across the country. More than a devotional journey, it\u2019s an invitation to discover a lesser-known <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/p\/peru\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Peru<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>, where spirituality, heritage, and daily life intersect and intertwine.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Officially presented in July 2025, <strong>the route includes more than 35 sites<\/strong> across the regions of <strong>Lambayeque<\/strong>, <strong>La Libertad<\/strong>, <strong>Piura<\/strong>, and <strong>Callao<\/strong>. Each stop marks a key location in his pastoral mission. For nearly 40 years, he lived and worked in these areas, leaving a profound legacy still visible today in restored churches, active communities, and the memory of local populations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DMZNgTENWji\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DMZNgTENWji\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">Voir cette publication sur Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DMZNgTENWji\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">Une publication partag\u00e9e par PROMPER\u00da (@promperu.oficial)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From Monsef\u00fa to Chulucanas: Paths Steeped in History<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bosque-de-pomac.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-235573\" style=\"width:332px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bosque-de-pomac.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bosque-de-pomac-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bosque-de-pomac-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The journey begins in the <strong>Lambayeque region<\/strong>, the area most closely tied to his presence in Peru. Notable sites include the <strong>Santa Mar\u00eda Cathedral<\/strong> in <strong>Chiclayo<\/strong>,<strong> the parishes of Monsef\u00fa<\/strong> and <strong>Eten<\/strong>, and <strong>the Sanctuary of the Cross of Chalp\u00f3n<\/strong> in <strong>Motupe<\/strong>\u2014one of the most important religious symbols in northern Peru. The historic <strong>Pomac <\/strong><strong>Forest Sanctuary<\/strong> is also part of the route, not only for its natural beauty but because the Pope actively worked to preserve this unique landscape of carob trees, pre-Columbian tombs, and endemic birds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Our article: <a href=\"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/crossing-time-in-chiclayo-history-nature-and-gastronomy-in-northern-peru\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crossing Time in Chiclayo: History, Nature and Gastronomy in Northern Peru<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The itinerary continues in <strong>Piura<\/strong>, with a stop in <strong>Chulucanas<\/strong>, home to the <strong>San Agust\u00edn Seminary<\/strong> where he taught. In <strong>La Libertad<\/strong>, visitors can explore the <strong>San Tom\u00e1s de Villanueva Convent<\/strong> in <strong>Trujillo<\/strong>. The route ends in <strong>Callao<\/strong>, where he was appointed bishop in 2014 and gave his final blessing before being called to the Vatican.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A National Project Before a Tourist One<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This project goes beyond a symbolic gesture. The Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, in collaboration with regional authorities, has invested in improving, restoring, and adapting infrastructure to welcome travelers. The initiative also aligns with a global trend toward thematic routes, such as the <strong>Qhapaq \u00d1an<\/strong>, or <strong>Inca Trail<\/strong>, which connect spiritual, cultural, and natural heritage.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Qhapaq \u00d1an: Los Caminos del Inca\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TBAijQN-Zw0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Route Rooted in the Land as Much as in the Sacred<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The journey isn\u2019t limited to churches. It also includes archaeological sites like the <a href=\"https:\/\/museos.cultura.pe\/museos\/museo-arqueol%C3%B3gico-nacional-br%C3%BCning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Br\u00fcning Museum<\/mark><\/strong><\/a>, as well as local events such as the Festival of the Divine Child of the Miracle. Extensions are already being considered toward the <strong>Apur\u00edmac region<\/strong>, where the Pope also supported social and ecclesiastical initiatives.  <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1212713-canciller-schialer-ruta-caminos-del-papa-leon-xiv-diversifica-la-oferta-turistica-del-peru-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-235577\" style=\"width:266px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1212713-canciller-schialer-ruta-caminos-del-papa-leon-xiv-diversifica-la-oferta-turistica-del-peru-3.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1212713-canciller-schialer-ruta-caminos-del-papa-leon-xiv-diversifica-la-oferta-turistica-del-peru-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1212713-canciller-schialer-ruta-caminos-del-papa-leon-xiv-diversifica-la-oferta-turistica-del-peru-3-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>For Peruvian authorities, this route represents more than a tourism product: it pays tribute to a historical bond forged through closeness\u2014with the people and their territories. As <strong>President Dina Boluarte <\/strong>stated during the official presentation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cThis route doesn\u2019t just pass through streets or churches\u2014it passes through the memory, faith, and hope of a people who never stopped dreaming, and who today can proudly say they have a Peruvian pope.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Her words are not merely patriotic sentiment; they highlight the essence of this initiative: to honor a shared history, that of a man who walked alongside the communities of northern Peru long before donning the white cassock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the Footsteps of Pope Le\u00f3n XIV\u201d is not just a religious pilgrimage\u2014it\u2019s proof that traveling in Peru is a transformative experience, one that inspires, amazes, and leaves a mark. Sometimes, deep enough to write a page of history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Photos: <em>Vatican News | <\/em>Secretar\u00eda de Gobierno y Transformaci\u00f3n Digital | PromPer\u00fa | Julio Reano<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A unique route through northern Peru following Pope Le\u00f3n XIV\u2019s path\u2014where faith, culture, and heritage come together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":235593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16783],"tags":[23792,23783,14227,19572,21539,17428,23775,23791,23795,14233,23794,23793,23796,23788,23778,23782,21302,23797,11083,23772,23779,23773,23786,7633,23774,17212,23789],"class_list":["post-235586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-authentic-peru","tag-bruning-museum","tag-chiclayo-2","tag-community-tourism-en","tag-cultural-tourism-in-peru","tag-cultural-tourism-peru","tag-divine-child-festival","tag-faith-and-travel","tag-historical-route","tag-lambayeque-2","tag-living-memory","tag-memory-tourism","tag-missionary-pope","tag-off-the-beaten-path-peru","tag-peru-tourist-route","tag-peruvian-churches","tag-peruvian-heritage","tag-peruvian-identity","tag-piura-2","tag-pope-leon-xiv","tag-spiritual-destinations","tag-spiritual-journeys","tag-spirituality-in-peru","tag-sustainable-tourism","tag-themed-travel-peru","tag-tourisme-durable-en","tag-transformative-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235586"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239077,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235586\/revisions\/239077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}