Máncora is a small beachtown smacked on the PanAmericana at the Peruvian Northern coast.

During holidays, peruvians come all the way from Lima to spend their holidays at the beach. It turns in a real partytown with an overcrowded beach and bars competing for the loudest music day and night.

Getting there

Due to it's location on the Pan Americana it's easy to catch a bus south as far as Lima and north to Tumbes or even to Guayaquil in Ecuador .

The bus station is located 4 blocks north of the main tourist area. You can walk or take a mototaxi for S/.1.

Ormeño are the most frequent long distance buses to destinations south of Mancora. There are frequent kombis to Piura & Tumbes.

For surfers, Transportes Linea have frequent buses from Piura & Chiclayo through Pacasmayo to Trujillo. Buses leave Trujillo for Huanchaco frequently, & Trujillo's Santa Cruz terminal for Puerto Malabrigo (aka Puerto Chicama) every 2 hours.

Star Peru have regular flights from Lima to Talara, Tumbes & Piura.

Traveling around

Most of the bars, restaurants and hotels are clustered on two blocks along the PanAmericana. Mototaxis are everywhere but the town is small enough for walking.

See

The beach. In addition to tanned bodies, you might spot some pelicans and crabs there.

Things to do

• Huge waves break along the beach during December and January, making for good surfing. Some surfshops won't rent out boards during this time, afraid it won't come back as one part.
• Also popular is kiteboading. You can rent a kit at a few places. For first timers, a 3-day certification course is requirerd and is about $360. You spend the first 2 days on the beach learning how to handle the kite.
• Enjoy the sun and take a swim at the beach.

Eat

There are a lot of restaurants, most of them serving fresh seafood. Service is generally very slow but the seafood is fresh, cheap, and delicious.

On the beach, restaurants will bring a mini-tent, table, chairs, menus, and food to the sand for you. The main road is lined with restaurants but for the cheapest meals (5 sol), go to the road leading to the beach.

Drink

If you don't mind loud music there should be enough bars to still your thirst.

• WooHoo Bar, has a party atmosphere downstairs and a quiet open upstairs terrace with a dart board and good views of the town, for when you want to escape the loud music. They serve domestic & imported beers & ales, and make good strong cocktails. They also have possibly the nicest toilets in Mancora !

Sleep

During holidays it can be hard if not impossible to find accommodations. Most of the accommodations are located next the bars, making them very noisy.

There are several hotels along the beach where to stay. Some are very basic while others offer more comfort. The nicest hotel in Mancora was used by world famous writer Mario Vargas Llosa's daughter - Morgana - for her wedding.

• Hostal Sol Y Mar, ☎ 073-258106 (hsolymar@hotmail.com), Recommended by the locals, private rooms around a central area, all with private bathrooms. Also has a pool. Rooms are a bit shabby, hotel needs some renovations. No hot water. Single from S/15pp.

• The Buena Vista is a very beautiful hotel located just a little bit north of the main beach area. It has its own direct beach access, and the rooms are excellent. For about $50 a night they have simple rooms with double beds, private baths. No hot water, but during the day the water is pretty tolerable, its hardly cold. Speaking from experience in Peruvian "Winter." Its a very nice resort, but the service is a little strange. You have to purchase toilet paper at 2 soles per roll, and to rent a beach towel costs 8 soles. Also towels for bathrooms have to be requested. And I received a surcharge when the handle to the shower faucet broke quite easily. However I have to say its probably one of the nicest places in Mancora otherwise. Has a pool and jacuzzi, and friendly staff.

• La Posada, S./15 (dorm). A basic hostel with a pool, a nice yard and hammocks.

• Loki Hostel (Loki del Mar), Avienda Piura #262 (Located on the main road through the town.), ☎ 0051-73-258484 The newest member of the Loki chain. With a prime plot of land stretching from the main drag to the beach, the new hostel gives backpackers the perfect place to take that well deserved break from their travels. Good clean rooms, internet, hot water and fully equipped with all the backpackers facilities. To chill there is also a 26 meter swimming pool and a big Loki bar. Dorm : S/25 to S/32 Twin : S/76.

Buy

There are many stalls set up near the main road, touristy items can be obtained here.

Safety

The usual recommendations :

Always respect the ocean, observe and learn about the local characteristics of the sea before jumping in. Have extra care, especially under the influence of drugs, alcohol and, or fatigue and lack of sleep. Calm seas can hide strong currents, or seasonably develop dangerous tides and currents.

Stay within busy areas of the beach and town, preferably in good company, observing drug and alcohol intake especially when partying... Don't become an easy prey to predators of any kind. Don't flash any valuable stuff when taking a moto-taxi as long as some of the riders might be thieves. Be aware specially if you're carrying a bag with you.

• Los Organos is a beachtown 15 minutes away from Mancora. It is great if you are looking for a quieter town and a lonely beach. You can also practice some water sports like surf, kitesurf, deep sea fishing and scuba diving. The food is cheaper than in Mancora, but the accommodations are a little bit more expensive. If you don't mind the cold water, you can find a cheaper place to stay.

• Talara is the closest city, one hour and a half from Mancora. If you need something you can't find in Mancora, you should probably find it in Talara. The city is not very beautiful, but it might be useful in some cases.

• Eppo is a bus company which offers short distance buses. From Mancora, they go to Los Organos (for 1,50 soles), El Alto, Talara (for 5,50 soles), Sullana and Piura, from 04:00AM, every half an hour. The buses are a bit old, but the service is really good as they are very punctual and the rates are cheap.