Ports in Peru — Callao and Lima: Port Codes, Berths and Distances
Summary:Peru’s ocean gateway is Callao (UN/LOCODE PECLL) on the Pacific coast beside the capital; Lima (PELIM) is the inland metropolitan point. This page sets out Callao’s berth layout and depths, the sailing distances shippers ask about, and how the two locations work together for cargo from China.
Port information: Callao (PECLL)
- Port code: PECLL (UN/LOCODE — some older databases, including our source records, carry legacy variants)
- Role: Peru’s main commercial port on the west coast of South America, at the outskirts of Lima
- Berths: 23 in total
- Throughput: about 5 million tonnes a year in our source records (container traffic has grown strongly since)
- Trade share: roughly three-quarters of Peru’s imports and one-quarter of its exports
Callao sits at the middle of Peru’s coastline. Two breakwaters, north and south, wrap around the harbour, with San Lorenzo Island offshore to the south-west as a natural screen against Pacific swell. Inside, a large mole stretches north-west from the middle of the port with four smaller moles reaching westward.
Berths and depths
| Berth group | Berths | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Main mole (both sides) | 2 | 9.7 – 10.9 m |
| Alongside berths south of the small moles | 4 | 10.0 – 10.9 m |
| Mole from the south breakwater (both sides) | 4 | 9.1 – 10.6 m |
| Tanker berths inside the north-west breakwater | 2 | 10.9 m |
Sailing distances shippers ask about
| From Callao to | Distance |
|---|---|
| Balboa (Panama) | 1,350 nm |
| San Francisco (USA) | 3,990 nm |
| Valparaíso (Chile) | 1,306 nm |
| Shanghai (China) | 9,404 nm |
Port information: Lima (PELIM)
Lima is Peru’s capital, the capital of Lima Province and the country’s largest economic and cultural centre. The city stands at the centre of Peru’s western coastline facing the Pacific and, together with Callao, forms the Lima metropolitan area. West of the city is a narrow desert coastal plain, dry and almost rainless; to the east the Western Cordillera climbs into a colder mountain climate with abundant rainfall that feeds the river heads. Farming is concentrated in the irrigated river valleys — cotton, sugarcane, grain, potatoes and vegetables — alongside poultry and livestock, while the mountains yield coal, copper, gold and silver. Most of Peru’s processing industry clusters around the capital, and road and rail links are dense.
Lima itself is not a seaport: ocean containers are discharged at Callao, about 12 km away, and trucked into the city. PELIM is the inland location code used on transport documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is the port code for Callao, Peru?
The official UN/LOCODE is PECLL. Some older databases and our own source records list legacy variants such as PECAL2C; use PECLL on bookings and manifests.
Is there a port in Lima?
No. Lima is about 12 km inland and uses the inland code PELIM on transport documents. Ocean containers discharge at neighbouring Callao (PECLL) and are trucked into the capital.
How many berths does Callao have and how deep are they?
Our port records count 23 berths in total: two on each side of the main mole at 9.7–10.9 m, four alongside berths at 10–10.9 m, four berths on the south-breakwater mole at 9.1–10.6 m and two tanker berths at 10.9 m.
How far is Callao from China?
Callao lies about 9,404 nautical miles from Shanghai by sea, which is why services from China usually run via Panama or with transhipment, and port-to-port times are quoted in weeks rather than days.
What share of Peru’s trade passes through Callao?
Roughly three-quarters of Peru’s imports and one-quarter of its exports, making it by far the country’s most important gateway.
Ship from China to Peru with Goodhope Freight
Goodhope Freight (China) Limited is a China-based international freight forwarder and NVOCC (license GD20230925153335), moving FCL, LCL, air and door-to-door cargo from every major Chinese port and city to Peru since 2012. Send the commodity, gross weight, volume, packing list and destination port, and we will confirm the routing, schedule and all-in rate: sales007@goodhopefreight.com or WhatsApp / WeChat +86 18938691638.
