THE BEST BEACHES IN PERU: MANCORA AND PUNTA SAL

Surf's up and the water's warm

Just south of the Ecuadorean border, you can find probably the finest of Peru's beaches: long, clear stretches of white sands, palm trees, clear blue water, probably the best place for surfing in South America... possibly the best place to relax in South America... need we go on? Oh, alright then! The temperature? Well, you're just south of the equator so the climate is just about perfect - perfect for the beach, that is!

The water comes from the warm Equatorial current and so it is absolutely perfect for swimming. This is the same current that caresses the Galapagos and Ecuador before reaching Mancora and then heading out into the Pacific. To be honest, it wouldn't be that much of a problem if the water was ice-cold because you'd soon dry off in the warm equatorial sun - you can count the number of cloudy days in Mancora on one hand!

And what a pace of life... Maybe there is one but you'd have to look pretty hard to find it. Everything here is very laid-back - no rush hour, no traffic-lights, in fact: no traffic! You can just lie back... relax... and unwind... Then, in the evening, you can check out some of the great local restaurants and bars for some relaxation of a different kind!

Surfing with dolphins

Yes, that's right. Surfing with dolphins. We'll start with the surfing first. Surfing is extremely popular in Peru, from the beaches south of Lima such as Punta Hermosa, up through Huanchaco near Trujillo and Pimentel near Chiclayo. Here in Mancora, however, it's like a way of life. Everybody seems to be at it - from the local kids to retirees from Lima who have moved up to Mancora for the perfect weather and slow pace of life. Because of its location, Mancora and the other beaches near Piura get hit with two major currents from the north and south (the Humboldt and Equatorial currents) and there are good swells all year round so anytime is a great time for surfing here!

There are dozens of beautiful beaches in the area so there's something to suit every skill level. Mancora itself offers a good variety of waves for the less experienced, but the surfing off Cabo Blanco or the aptly-named "Panic Point" will be a challenge for even the most tried and tested surfer.

Oh, and we promised you dolphins. Well, sure enough, if the surfing wasn't good enough to tempt you anyway then we just don't think it gets much better than to come out of one of Mancora's magic barrels to see a dolpin swimming a few metres away from you...

Sun, sea and surf

So why not add a few days relaxation here on to the end of your holiday? You can be in Tumbes in under two hours from Lima, and then its less than an hour to Mancora. Of course, if you've been visiting Trujillo or Chiclayo then you're even nearer...

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