Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trekking
To see some of the interior of this desert coast, hire a pickup (around S75, including wait-
ing time) to take you up the Fernández Valley, past the mud baths and on until the road
ends (about 1½ hours). Continue for two hours on foot through mixed woodlands with
unique birdlife to reach Los Pilares, which has pools ideal for swimming. You can also
visit these areas as part of a tour.
Tours & Guides
Ursula Behr from
Iguana's
( 63-2762;
www.iguanastrips.com
; Piura 245)
organizes
full-day trips to the Los Pilares dry forest, which include wading through sparkling water-
falls, swimming, horseback riding, a soak in the mud baths and lunch for S180 per person.
Sea kayaking trips, ideal for bird-spotting, cost S140 per person for the day.
Sleeping
Rates for accommodations in Máncora are seasonal, with the January to mid-March high
season commanding prices up to 50% higher than the rest of the year, especially at week-
ends. During the three major holiday periods (Christmas to New Year, Semana Santa and
Fiestas Patrias) accommodations can cost triple the low-season rate, require multinight
stays and be very crowded; this time is generally best avoided. High-season rates are giv-
en here.
Budget rooms are pricier here than other parts of the coast, but there are cheap beds in
hospedajes
in the center of town and the southern part of the beach. South of town, along
Antigua Panamericana, a different Máncora emerges amid multiple tranquil resorts spread
out over several kilometers of often desolate beaches, including Las Pocitas and Vichayito
Beach. All have restaurants (two of the north's most important restaurants are here) and
can be reached by
mototaxi
(S7 to S10). The places further south are the quietest and are
more likely to have individual bungalow accommodations.
Sunset Hotel $$$
( 25-8111;
www.sunsetmancora.com
;
Antigua Panamericana 196; s/d incl breakfast
S180/250; )
The intimate, boutique-styled Sunset wouldn't be out of place on the
cover of a glossy travel mag. It has beautifully furnished interiors and great aqua-themed
rock sculptures, the good-sized rooms supply solid mattresses, hot showers, balconies and
views of the seascape. The Argentine owners oversee just five rooms, so you'll never feel
your privacy encroached on here.
BOUTIQUE HOTEL
