Mancora beach resort in Peru
Mancora is a small town on the Northern coast of Peru, which is becoming popular as a destination for surfing and those who want to escape to a relaxing beach bungalow.
Mancora is still a relatively undeveloped resort with a population of around 9,000 the main businesses are fishing and tourism. Estimates are that in 2005 there were 340,000 tourists. Although there are hotels with tv and air-conitioning if you want them, there are also small and intimate bungalows with just the basics to let you really relax.
Getting to Mancora involves a long bus trip from Lima along the coastal Pan-American Highway, which takes about 18 hours, so you will have to travel overnight. I would really recommend getting a 1st class reclining seat with either Cruz del Sur or Oltursa.
A faster way to get there is to fly to Tumbes with Lan Peru (about 1 hour 45 minutes) and then get a taxi or a bus to Mancora (approx 1 hour 30 minutes by road) although the flights are quite late so you might have to stay one night in Tumbes.
Las Balsas, Mancora. Pool or the beach...?
There are many different beaches in the Mancora area. Some are better for surfing, some are full of rocks and have many interesting rock pools full of life.
The Pan American Highway running through Mancora
Some people predict that in the future Mancora will be a very busy beach resort, similar to the Costas in Spain but at the moment it’s a quiet place to enjoy a relaxing holiday.
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