While Patrick was still studying hard in Lima to pass his Spanish course with flying colors, Lisa and Nicky took it a bit easier, spending a few relaxed beach days in Mancora. This former fishing village has gained quite some fame and reputation in the surfing and backpacking communities for being Peru’s year round hot spot to catch good waves as well as unforgettable parties.
Party time here starts at sunset when everyone gathers at the beach to enjoy the spectacle of colors while already sipping on a round of happy hour pisco sours (that’s a cocktail of Peruvian origin that is similar to a caipirinha). In many of the beach bars, happy hour never ends and keeps locals and visitors dancing till the surfers come out to catch the first waves at the break of dawn.
The main local means of transport in Mancora are tuk-tuks, little motorbike-drawn, three-wheeled cabins. As it is quite hot in Mancora, everyone goes everywhere by tuk-tuk. Thus, in order to comply with local customs, we went back and forth all day between the beach and our hotel, always by tuk-tuk of course. With one of them, driven by our favorite driver, we also went to explore Mancora’s outskirts. Thus, we visited El Ñuro Beach to swim with green sea turtles and recovered from the high-life in Mancora on the secluded but beautiful beach of Los Órganos. One evening our driver also took us over humpy, bumpy and quite adventurous backroads to Zorritos where we took a dip in some natural hot springs full of bubbling hot water and mud which is said to have curative properties. It was a good thing we went late, because by then it had cooled down a bit so we could actually enjoy the hot water. Also, there was no one else there any more, which made it a great place to enjoy the stary sky while sitting around a little bonfire before going back to town, rejuvenated and fit after the mud bath and thus, ready for another long party night.
Despite not sleeping much in order to take full advantage of our three days and nights here, we felt there was still plenty to do by the time we left. So, I guess we probably have to come back some time!
When in Mancora
Where to sleep: Rios Hotel Mancora – far enough from the beach to get a good night’s sleep but still close enough to get there within a two minutes tuk-tuk ride. Another plus is the roof terrace which is a great place for a chilled breakfast!
Where to eat & drink: La Sirena d’Juan Restaurant – THE place to have tuna which will probably be the best you ever tasted. They catch tuna here, so the fish you will get will be as fresh as it can be while being cooked to perfection.
What to do: Go swim with the turtles in El Ñuro Beach – it will make you happy, promise!
