We experienced everything Mancora has a reputation for in our first 24 hours there. A noisy, party beach town popular with gap year students – and a relaxing, beautiful beach side town with an array of water sports activities.
Getting there
We arrived at 3am on a night bus that arrived far quicker than we would have liked it to. With check-in for our beach side apartment not open until nine, we’d little choice but to wander the main street and find a bed for a few hours.
The hostels we found open, we’re open because plenty of people were enjoying what Mancora is most famous for. We woke a sleeping guard and then a sleeping receptionist and checked into a room with a party taking place not far from our room.
Mancora Apartments
A few hours later, we were walking down the other end of the beach to the quieter Playa Amor. Our English host showed us to our beach hut which could not have been closer to the sea. In fact, with the tide in, it was definitely too close to the sea. It hadn’t always been, he’d told us. A swell last Christmas had taken away a sand dune that was just below our first floor terrace, and now the water came right up below it. Some boulders placed below made it feel a little less like a wooden shack hanging above the sea.
We weren’t complaining. As well as being able to see the sea from our bed, for the first time in a long time, we had a small but perfectly functional kitchen all to ourselves.
We stocked it with coffee, the ingredients for smoothies, fruit filled pancakes and pisco sours.
Swimming & sunbathing
Our time in between eating and drinking was spent mostly swimming in the wild but warm sea (21C°) and lying on the beach in again slightly wild but warm weather (27C°).
Surfing
There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in water sports. Our end of the beach offered kite surfing and the other end offered surfing with lessons being offered on the beach and plenty of places to rent boards.
Eating out
The main Street of Mancora offered plenty of excellent food options. Mostly preoccupied with our own kitchen, we only ventured out two or three times for food, but the food was excellent on each occasion. The ceviche options on offer looked incredible, as well as a Peruvian Japanese raw fish fusion called Nikkei seemingly popular in the town.
- Smoking Brothers
- Altier
- Papa Mo’s Milk Bar