When most travelers think of Peru, they conjure up images of majestic mountains, rainforests, dense jungles and the remains of its ancient civilization that once prevailed throughout the South American country.
However, surfers, swimmers and sunbathers are discovering the country’s shoreline dotted with perfect sandy beaches. Close to the equator in the Piura region, the waters off the Peruvian coast are warm and perfect for surfing. There are always waves off these beaches, of all kinds, including large, small, tubular, high peaks and others that break in quick succession. It is this variety that is appreciated by expert surfers from all over the world.
With a narrow 1,500-mile strip of coastal desert along the Pacific Ocean, Peru has a stunning shoreline with rocky cliffs, turquoise tidepools, rock formations erupting out of the sea and soft-grained white, brown, volcanic-red and black sand beaches for swimming, sunbathing and especially surfing.
Here are the best strands scattered along the coast.
North Coast
Twenty years ago, Máncora was little more than a fishing village on the northern coast. Now, it’s a beachy getaway whose main street through town is the Pan-American Highway. Along with tin-roofed cafes serving a variety of cuisines and lively nightclubs, this is a surfing hotspot. At the center of town, Máncora Beach delivers Peru’s only warm-water break, the largest left-hand point break in the world, and some of the country’s best waves and warmest water (especially February to April). And with gentle inside sets, weak shoulders and waves that aren’t too steep, it’s a great beach for beginners to rent a board and learn from professionals at one of three surf schools. The safest time to surf here is at mid or high tide when dangerous rocks are well covered by water. High season is mid-December to March.
South of town, several luxury hotels set back from the beach and buffered by palm trees and grass claim a privileged stretch of Las Pocitas, one of Máncora’s most beautiful beaches. Though not ideal for swimming or surfing, it’s a great place for long beach strolls and leisurely lounging. Just south of there, Vichayito is a good swimming beach without rocks, ideal for kitesurfing and windsurfing when the winds are strong from April to November.
Fifteen minutes south of Máncora, Los Organos offers cafes, some surf schools, and Playa Organitos, an uncrowded beach you may even have all to yourself. Perfect for naturalists, here you can observe endangered sea turtles (mostly green) that congregate around the Puerto Ñuro fishing pier or watch them on boat trips. More than 300 turtles have been tagged by scientists tracking their migratory patterns, growth, and reproductive successs. You might
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