The oldest traces of human occupation of Callao date back more than 10,000 years and are the stone workshops onChivateros Hill. Throughout the pre-Inca period, various peoples settled in the area, primarily dedicated to fishing. In the mid-15th century, the territory of Callao was annexed to theInca Empire, with the Inca Palace of Oquendo being one of its strategic centres.
The city was founded by Spanish colonists in 1537, just two years afterLima, which was founded in 1535. The origin of its name is unknown; both Amerindian (particularlyYunga, or Coastal Peruvian) and Spanish sources are credited, but it is certain that it was known by that name since 1550. Other sources point to the similarity with the Portuguese wordcalhau [pebble], having a similar sound.
It soon became the main port for Spanish commerce in thePacific. At the height of theViceroyalty, virtually all goods produced in Peru,Bolivia, and Argentina were carried over theAndes bymule to Callao, to be shipped toPanama, carried overland, and then transported on to Spain viaCuba. The port of Callao was also a node in theManila galleon route connecting Latin-America and Asia through Acapulco, Mexico and Manila,Philippines.[5] As a result, Callao also became a permanent target for pirate and corsair attacks, such as the one carried out byFrancis Drake in 1579 and the blockade established byJacques l'Hermite in 1624.
In a session on March 8, 1834, the National Convention presided over byFrancisco Xavier de Luna Pizarro decorated Callao as “The Faithful and Generous City of Callao, Asylum of the Laws and Liberty”, as a reward for defending the government of GeneralLuis José de Orbegoso against the coup attempts of GeneralPedro Pablo Bermúdez.
On 20 August 1836, during thePeru–Bolivian Confederation, PresidentAndrés de Santa Cruz mandated the creation ofCallao Littoral Province (Spanish:Provincia Litoral del Callao), also called theMilitary and Political Government of Callao (Spanish:Gobierno Político y Militar del Callao), which had political autonomy in its internal affairs. The province was thus separated fromLima from this point onwards.
During the government of PresidentRamón Castilla, Callao was designated aconstitutional province (Provincia Constitucional), on 22 April 1857; before that, Callao was called Littoral province. All of the other Peruvian provinces had been given their names by law, while Callao was given it by constitutional mandate.
The province's first mayor was Col. Manuel Cipriano Dulanto.
In 1921, the Bureau of Public Works granted a concession toM.I.T. engineer John Tinker Glidden for paving, administering, and inaugurating a public cart road between Callao and Lima, further coalescing aLima metropolitan area.
By 1949, Callao was known as one of the biggest centers ofcoca-based products andcocainetraffic in the world.[6]
Callao is built on and around apeninsula, the district ofLa Punta, a wealthy residential neighborhood. A historical fortress, theCastillo de Real Felipe (site of "Rodil's Last Stand"), stands on the promontory overlooking the harbor.
A large naval base is sited in Callao. Its prison heldAbimael Guzmán, the leader of theShining Path Communist Party of Peru, and holdsVladimiro Montesinos, the ex-director of internal security during theFujimori regime.
On a bluff overlooking the harbor sits Colegio Militar Leoncio Prado, the military high school. The city also has a university, theNational University of Callao.
Local government affairs are divided into two levels. Regional matters are handled by theRegional Government of Callao (Gobierno Regional del Callao), which is located in front of theJorge Chávez International Airport.[7] Affairs such as city cleaning, promoting of sports and basic services are handled by the Provincial Municipality of Callao, which is headquartered in theCallao District. Also, each of the six districts has its own Municipality which handles matters in their respective jurisdictional areas.
The rest of Callao Region is composed of the islands ofSan Lorenzo,El Frontón, Cavinzas andPalomino, which all together have an area of 17.63 km2 (6.81 sq mi).
Callao is one of the most dangerous areas in Peru and experiences the most crime.[9] The main port city in Peru is known as one of the largest exit points ofcocaine and is rife with organized crime that results in violence.[9][10] In December 2015, the government declared Callao in astate of emergency that extended until April 2016, with more than 30 people being killed at the time.[11][12] In 2016, themurder rate in Callao was double the national average; from 10.2 per 100,000 in 2011 to 15.2 in 2015, compared to Lima which saw 4.8 per 100,000 in 2011 and 5.0 per 100,000 in 2015.[9] Despite government and cultural initiatives, crime has continued to increase in Callao, with some public events in the area ending in gunfire.[13]
Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA: LIM, ICAO: SPJC), known as Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez in Spanish, is Peru's main international and domestic airport. It is located inCallao district, 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest from theHistoric Center of Lima. Callao is the port city nowfully integrated withLima, the nation's capital. In 2008, the airport handled 8,288,506 passengers and 98,733 aircraft movements. The airport was expanded in 2025 with the construction of a new terminal, increasing its capacity to 40 million passengers per year. The old terminal was closed and will be converted into a logistics center.
The port of Callao is served by the4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gaugeFerrocarril Central Andino. The rail system connects to theDesamparados station in the center ofLima and ends inHuancayo. The rail station in Callao does not currently serve commercial service and instead is used for cargo.
^abThe city is coterminous with the autonomousConstitutional Province of Callao (Spanish:Provincia Constitucional del Callao). Despite not belonging to any region since 1857, it is administered byits own regional government since 2003.
^The city has no official foundation date, and its origins date back to early January 1535, prior to the foundation ofLima on the 18th. On March 6, 1537, a successful request by Diego Ruiz to theReal Audiencia of Lima was recorded,[2] and the port was elevated to city level in 1671.
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