Malabriga Bay

Malabriga corresponds to the roadstead of Malabrigo on Peru's northern coast, within the old jurisdiction of Trujillo. Late-colonial descriptions and early republican surveys disagreed sharply about its usefulness. Antonio de Alcedo described a small, insecure port exposed to the winds, used mainly by vessels compelled to enter. Its alternative name, Puerto Seco, also appeared in geographical accounts.

A survey reported to Peru's government on 28 September 1825 offered a much more favourable judgment. Tomás Guillermo Carter examined the site from land and sea and recommended it as a convenient outlet for the country's agricultural produce and trade. He noted plentiful fishing and supplies of firewood and other necessities for ships operating in the Pacific. The government gazette subsequently reported the examination of Malabrigo in October. These contrasting assessments reveal a practical question facing coastal commerce: whether an existing landing place could become a more useful port, judged through the requirements of anchorage, provisioning and access to inland production.