The North of Perú.

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The Coast, the Moche Civilization, Huaraz and Lima.

 There are many good alternatives to explore the Peruvian coast, from the border with Ecuador (Aguas Verdes) you can take a shared taxi to Tumbes, the next city, located at Km. 1267, from Tumbes you can take a bus, a van or a shared taxi ¨colectivo¨ to the many Peruvian of the northern Peruvian coast.

Máncora, Perú

There are many beautiful beaches here, from Tumbes you can continue travelling and visit Zorritos beach, Km. 1250, if you like fishing Caleta Grau is a good option and is near Zorritos. A good alternative to spend a few days is Punta Sal beach, 80 Km. south of Tumbes. A beautiful beach with many hotels and restaurants around, you can also camp if you want to. From Punta Sal you can continue (by taxi or your car) half an hour to the south to Máncora, one of the most beautiful Peruvian beaches.   

 Máncora.

Mancora

 Máncora is one of the most famous beaches in Peru and the Pacific coast, is an excellent surfing spot, loads of surfers and travelers come to this beach from all around the world to surf and have a great time. In Máncora you can find many hostels, bars, hotels and great restaurants, this beach is located at 2 ½ hours from the border with Ecuador and you can get there by shared taxi, shared Van or by bus. You can also get here from Tumbes city.

Surfing championship at Lobitos beach

Peruvian food its famous and delicious, there are many good restaurants in Mancora like El Tuno (fresh tuna, try Tuno Salteado), they also have good pastas, if you are a steak lover I will recommend The Steak House, both places located on the main highway, Panamericana. For sea food you must go to Las Gemelitas, located a few blocks from town, just take a moto taxi, the main local transport. There are many things to do in Mancora like surf or take surfing lessons, horse riding or just relax. There many hotels in Mancora, I recommend Las Olas, if you want to chill out and want a nice hotel in front of the beach. If you want more party and meet lot of travellers there are many hostels like Loki del Mar.   

Steak House, Máncora

 There are another beaches close to Máncora, like Vichayito, if you want to chill out, Organos is a good beach for surfing, it is just 20 min. from Máncora and you can take a taxi and ask the driver to pick you up later. Another very good place for surfing is Lobitos, to get there you will need to take your own car or take a taxi or bus to Talara city and then a bus to Lobitos as is far but the waves are great, there are some hostels for surfers on this beach.

From Mancora you can go straight to Lima (18 hrs.),  a good bus company is CIAL, you can also continue your trip to the south, taking the El Dorado bus to Piura (departs at 9 am and takes 3 hours) and then the El Dorado bus to Chiclayo that departs at 13.00 from Piura, book both buses in Mancora. In Chiclayo you can visit the Tumbas Reales Museum, the best one in Perú, here is the tomb of Lord of Sipan, from Moche pre-Inca civilization, one of the main archaeological discoveries in Perú. You can also visit the Chaparri Private Reserve and see the wildlife there. This is out of town and you must make a reservation.

 To continue your trip you can take the bus to Trujillo, there are direct buses from Mancora (9 hrs.) , Piura (6 hrs.) and from Chiclayo (3 hrs.). Trujillo is one of the main cities on Perú, close to Trujillo (15 min. by taxi) is Huanchaco beach, Chan Chan ruins and the Moon and Sun temples.

 If you are coming from Lima, you can take a direct bus to Máncora, CIAL company has the best buses, the journey takes 16 hrs. approx, There are also buses from Trujillo and Chiclayo, but you have to get off in Piura and take a shared taxi to Mancora, this takes about 2 hours, is safer if you go with somebody else.

Huanchaco.

Moon Temple

 Trujillo its one of the main cities in Perú, with a population of 1 million people. At just 15 minutes from Trujillo is Huanchaco beach, a fishing town where you can also do surf and enjoy Peruvian sea food. Close to Huanchaco are the Chan Chan ruins (from Chimu pre Inca civilization), to get here you can take the local bus or a taxi, is just 5 minutes from Huanchaco, the entrance fee is 11.5 soles and you can get a tourist guide at the gate. Half an hour from Chan Chan are the Sun and Moon Temples, you will need to take a taxi to get here and the entrance fee is 11.5 soles. There is also a good museum next to the temples that were built by the pre- Inca Mochica civilization. A good option is to take a tour that includes Chan Chan and the Moon and Sun temples, you can arrange this with the hotel in Huanchaco, a good guide is Maritza Cabanillas, she can arrange the transport, tour and entrances fee, the hotel can help you to contact her. About hotels I recommend Hostal Naylamp, and HostalHuanchaco,both close to the beach and with nice rooms, they can also help you to book your tours. A good place to eat is restaurant My Friends, is cheap and good, close to the town center great Peruvian food and nice atmosphere.  There are many good options to continue your trip, there are buses to Lima ( 9hrs.) from Trujillo, I always take Transportes Linea.

Reed boats at Huanchaco

Huaraz.

  To continue your trip you can  take  a bus to Huaraz (3100 masl), an adventure sports place like trekking an rafting. There are many good treks, with all levels of difficulty. You can stay at Jo´s Place, they have dorms and private rooms and they can help you to arrange your excursions as they work with a tour operator, a good option is Lake 69, a good one day trek that goes through Huascarán National Park where the Huascaran mountain is located, the highest in Perú with 6768 meters high. Is a middle level trek that ends in Lake 69 and you can also see Llanganuco lake. Huaraz is a town located between the white and black mountain range and is a great place for trekking.  

From Huaraz you can take a bus to Lima, is about 8 hours journey, you can take Movil tours bus or Cruz del Sur, this bus companies also goes from Lima to Huaraz every day.

Trek to Lake 69

Lake 69, Huaraz

Lima.

Miraflores, Lima



Lima city center

  Lima is the capital of Perú with a population of 9 million, there are many good places to stay in Miraflores and Barranco districts, here you can find good places to go out, visit, eat and are also close to the beach. From Lima you can start your trip around Perú or fly somewhere else from Jorge Chavez international airport. Lima is a big city and you have to be careful on the streets and with the taxis. There are many places to visit in Lima like museums, bars, beaches, restaurants, is good to stay here for a couple of days and then continue your trip around the country. Some good museums here are Museo de oro and Museo Larco, both about history. The city center is also nice to visit and watch the change of guard (midday), the main square is called Plaza Mayor, there are a few good restaurants near like Tanta, just next to Plaza Mayor. There are many places to go, most of the bars and pubs are in Barranco (Ayahuasca is a good bar here) and Miraflores (go to Larco mar ). Another good sites to visit are Pachacamac pre inca temple (30 min. from Lima) and Huaca Pucllana, a temple located in Miraflores.