Complete Guide To Mancora: Peru’s Ultimate Chillout Spot 

While Peru has thousands of miles of coastline, it is not normally known as a beach destination. Why? Because the cooling Humboldt current makes its waters surprisingly chilly and brings a persistent fog known as La Garua.

The exception? The tiny Northern corner beyond the current, crowned by Mancora that enjoys constant sunshine and warm bath-like waters. Throw in surf, amazing nightlife and whale watching, you are onto a winner that stacks up against the best of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. 

I spent 4 lovely, sun soaked days in Mancora and would have gladly stayed longer had I not had to race across Ecuador to catch my flight back to Europe. Your first impression will most likely come, as mine did, through the veil of drowsiness brought on by a night bus.

However, get ready for the fatigue to lift the second you lay eyes on the azure waters and rambling beaches. The golden sand and warm waters bring back pure childhood joy.

Why visit Mancora

I chose to visit Mancora as my body had been bullied for weeks by the vertical world of Peru’s trekking capital Huaraz. I wanted nothing more than to lie on a beach and feel warmth on my skin for the first time in a while.

What I didn’t expect was that Mancora is more than a sunbed. It is alive with marine life, has a vibrant food scene and is one of the premier destinations in Peru to ride waves. Whether you want to relax or get active, Mancora is not one to skip. 

Mancora is also sunlit squares, bright street stalls, and slow-town vibes. (iStock/Andrei Potorochin)

Getting to Máncora

Mancora is on the northern extremity of Peru, and so getting there from Lima is a brutal 20-hour bus ride. Chances are though that your trip will be broken up by any number of interesting places within those thousands of miles.

The nearest big city is Trujillo, which is 10 hours by bus away — a comfortable time for a night bus.

For those coming from the North, Mancora is served by buses from Guayaquil (8-hour bus ride), Cuenca (11-hour bus ride), and Quito (15-hour bus ride). It is also possible to fly into Piura airport and get a 3-hour bus to Mancora. 

Mancora’s beaches (& the best stays right by them)

If you have come to Mancora, chances are that you are a beach bum. The beauty of Mancora is that there is a beach for every taste — solitude, partying or a luxury experience. 

Playa Amor

Situated on the Northern reaches of Mancora, away from the bustle of downtown, this is a sweeping crescent of golden sand free of any hawkers but also without beach bars and sun beds. There are some local shops supplying ice creams five minutes from the beach. Bring a book, picnic in peace and bathe in the serene sea. 

There are plenty of accommodation choices here – I stayed in the Wild Rover hostel here, which contrary to its raucous reputation was pretty chilled out and good value. Alternatively, get a Robinson Crusoe experience of complete peace at Mancora Apartments, perfect for you and your amor. 

Mancora Beach

This is the strip of the town. At high tide, there is a sense of it being close to being swept away by the Pacific as the ocean gets precariously close to the streets. Enjoy the beautiful chaos while you can.

There are beach bars, scores of restaurants, sun beds and hostels or hotels with pools you can use for the cost of a drink. Sunbathe and people-watch Peru’s cool scene and gringos peacock along the promenade. 

Playa Máncora – the main Máncora beach

This is where you find the most lively hostels. The famous Point Hostel has truly crazy nightlife, as does Loki del Mar, an outpost of this renowned chain of party hostels. Qema Mancora offers a quieter vibe and many co-working spaces for digital nomads or those of you keeping the party slightly at bay. 

Los Pocitas 

This sector of Mancora beach feels detached from the rest of the town. The sprawl of dusty roads and beach bars gives way to avenues of beach resorts. Come here for an upscale resort experience. Luxuriate in the equatorial sun in an all-inclusive and dip into the rest of Mancora at your leisure. 

It is possible to visit this part of Mancora and experience the high-life by buying lunch at one of the hotels. Particularly notable resorts include Sausalito Beach and Hotel Grandmare. Be advised, it is a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute moto taxi ride.

A quieter setting for a more intimate beach experience in Mancora

The surf scene

Mancora is Peru’s only tropical surf break, and the warm water is a serious unique selling point compared to the frigidity of other spots further South. Particularly for beginners just dipping their toe into the sport, the water being akin to a Turkish bath makes it a lot easier and enjoyable to stick at it and improve.

The waves are not particularly large and are suitable for both beginners and intermediates. There are two breaks in Mancora: Mancora Point, directly in front of the town beach and Pocitas. Both are left points — where the wave breaks to the left as you ride it to shore.

This makes the break long, smooth and excellent for practicing turns and manoeuvres. The best time of day for shredding the waves is 1-3pm as the low tide advances into shore and the waves are pumping.

Mancora Point has the larger waves and is the busier of the two, so be wary of people dropping in on your line! For smaller waves and more tranquility, head to Pocitas.

Enough swell here to catch some waves (iStock/JuanJoseNapuri)

There are many options for surf camps in Mancora. Learning with the aid of professional instructors and being immersed in the surf culture is a brilliant way to come on in leaps in bounds. The beauty of this is that you can learn a life-enhancing skill for a fraction of the cost back home.

The standout option is Algae Surf Camp, which offers weeklong residential courses that include yoga lessons. Alternatively, Surf Racer House will throw in kite surfing lessons too.

For those looking to go at it alone, expect to pay 20 soles/6USD for a 2-hour surfboard rental from the plethora of vendors on Mancora Beach or 40 soles/12USD for a full day. A single private surf lesson will set you back about 80 soles/23USD. 

Kite surfing has also taken off in Mancora in recent years. Residential camps, lessons and rentals are freely available. The standout operators are Surf Racer House and Kite Club Mancora. 

For experienced surfers seeking larger waves, Mancora is located just an hour away from Lobitos, which has a famous left hand wave that typically runs for 200m.

Partying the Mancora way

The fun in Mancora does not end at sunset. It has a reputation as a party town, and for good reason. I celebrated Peru’s independence weekend here and it was among the craziest nightlife I’ve experienced in South America! 

There are many beach bars to sup down on a post-surf cocktail and watch the sunset. My favourite was Bar el Naufrago, a quirky shipwreck themed establishment right on the beach. 

There is a single conventional nightclub, Boulevard Mancora, but I found that the action was centred on the slew of party hostels.

Loki de Mar Hostel throws wild parties that draw most backpackers to the town. I really enjoyed the scene at The Point, which was amazing for meeting new people on account of its small size and the constant rounds of drinking games. I also loved the ambiance of its beachside setting, which adds the lapping of waves to the night’s soundtrack. I actually found Wild Rover the quietest of the party hostels, but it can still draw a good crowd when it puts on an event.

My late-night highlight of my time in Mancora was a pop up rave in the Mancora lighthouse. I heard about it on the water from a local surfer, so keep your ear to the ground for similar hidden gems!

More things to do in Mancora

Whale watching

From Mid-July to October, Humpback Whales migrate from the Antarctic to the warm waters around Mancora and Ecuador to give birth. They are even sometimes visible from shore. Though, for a more reliable look at these marine giants, be sure to take a boat tour.

These take 2-4 hours, and even include a look at oil platforms adorned with sea lions! Expect to pay 120-130 soles/35–38USD for this excursion.

Horseride on the beach 

The world is different from horseback. There is nothing quite like the rhythmic clip clop of hooves and the music of the waves while you look out to sea from an extra height. You can experience this easily in Mancora from the clutch of operators offering 2-hour-long excursions in the region of 40 soles/12USD from Playa Mancora. 

(svenschermer/DepositPhotos.com)

Sample the food 

Peru’s food scene is becoming an increasingly badly kept secret, and Mancora is the perfect place to try its show-stopping dish, ceviche. This is fresh, raw fish cured in lime juice with chilli, onions, salt and cilantro. Head anywhere on the Mancora Plaza to get it made in front of you for 10 soles.

On GetYourGuide, you can join a unique tour on Organos Beach, which lets you try your hand at fishing, then prepare and enjoy authentic Peruvian ceviche right by the ocean. For a more conventional brunch option go to Green Eggs and Ham for a banquet of pancakes and barista-made coffee. 

Day trip to Tumbes 

This town is where Pizarro and his Spaniards first landed in Peru 500 years ago to forever change its historical destiny.

Today, it is famous for the chance to take a boat trip through coastal mangrove forests. As the boat threads through the surreal, submerged forest, you will find scores of crocodiles and hundreds of bird species. Expect to pay in the region of 80 soles/23USD for this experience. 

Into the mangroves of Tumbes (roy_l11mw/depositphotos)

Yoga

There are plenty of options to stretch out after a day on the waves or a nasty hangover. Pop into Algae surf camp for some beachside yoga, or hit up Mancora Yoga to get your yogi fix. 

Essential travel tips 

I was not familiar with the sheer volume of mosquitoes in Mancora, and consequently was ravaged by the little bloodsuckers until I wised up and bought some repellent. Lather yourself in repellent if you would prefer not to spend your beach days scratching yourself. 

I was also concerned by unscrupulous tour operators running excursions to go swim with turtles. To swim with these marine giants is a misnomer: you are harassing them, putting them at risk of death by propellers and the evidence points to disruption of breeding patterns. Avoid these tours!