Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 802

EATING AND DRINKING
Tumbes is the best place in Peru to try conchas negras -
the black clams found only in these coastal waters, where
they grow on the roots of mangroves.
Bahia Lounge Av Grau 307 T 072 526 038, W bahia
loungetumbes.com. All a bit swanky for a border town
really - this place bills itself as serving international and
fusion cuisine on top of Peruvian staples. Mon-Sat
8am-1am & Sun 8am-4pm.
Ì Bohemia/Eduardo (El Brujo) Jr. Malecón
Benavides 850 W eduardoelbrujo.com. One of the best
restaurants in this part of the world, this place serves
exquisite seafood in a light, open restaurant spanning two
floors, including a rooftop terrace with river views. Try the
fantastic sudado de conchas negras , a thick seafood stew
served with rice, with supposedly aphrodisiac properties.
A little pricey (mains S30-40), but portions are big enough
to share. Mon-Sat 9am-midnight.
Misky Bologneisi 221 W miskytumbes.com. Good-value
snack bar offering breakfasts, snacks, burgers, sandwiches,
milkshakes, juices, cakes, sundaes and smoothies. Every-
thing less than S15. Daily 7am-11pm.

9

Empire. While its Spanish ambience,
along with its one remaining Inca
building and Andean location, have
earned it the title “the Cusco of the
north”, Cajamarca has a character all
of its own. Relatively small until Peru's
largest gold mine (within driving
distance) was discovered, the city's
population has grown rapidly in the
last decade to around 350,000, and the
influx of money and expats is reflected
in the modern restaurants and watering
holes. Despite this, Cajamarca is still
surprisingly low-key, and the lack of
hassle will come as a welcome relief if
you've come from the gringo trail in the
south, or Máncora in the north.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Cajamarca's sights either lie in the centre
around the Plaza de Armas , in the swish
suburb of Baños del Inca - where you'll
find the eponymous thermal springs - or
outside the city , where the attractions are
all accessible on half-day tours. Note that
all the main tourist attractions in the
centre, as well as many shops, close for
lunch between 1 and 3pm.

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange All banks are along C Bolívar (to
the left of the cathedral). Moneychangers can also be
found on this street at the crossroads with Av Piura.
Post o ce San Martín 208.

Around the Plaza de Armas
he Plaza de Armas lies at the centre,
and most of the sights in the city are
located nearby in the easy-to-navigate
surrounding streets. On the plaza sit
the Catedral (open during Mass times
Mon-Sat 6pm, Sun 7.30am, 11am &
6pm ) and the Iglesia San Francisco (daily
10am-noon & 4-6pm). The adjoining
Convento San Francisco (Mon-Sat
9am-noon & 4-6pm; S5), whose
entrance is on Amalia Puga, houses
an interesting selection of religious art
in a rambling run of rooms, crypts and
cloisters in a working monastery.
Just a couple of blocks from the main
square, and run by the national
university, is the eccentric and compact
Museo Arqueológico Horacio Urteaga ,
at Jr. Del Batán 289 (Mon-Fri
8am-3pm; free, though donations
welcome). It houses an unusual variety
of pots, some excellent textiles, colonial
furniture, a couple of mummies and
a cabinet with erotic ceramics.

The Northern
Highlands
he Northern Highlands offers some of
the least-explored areas in Peru. The two
main cities, Cajamarca and Chachapoyas ,
are welcoming and peaceful compared to
other cities more geared up for tourism.
Each offers accessible stopping points
before striking out into the stunning
countryside, ranging from lush pastures
to craggy mountaintops and cloudforest.

CAJAMARCA
Nestling in a fertile rolling valley of
eucalyptus and pine, 2720m above sea
level, CAJAMARCA is a charming colonial
town shrouded in legend, most famously
- or infamously - known as the place
of Atahualpa's last stand against Pizarro
in 1532, signalling the end of the Inca