Northern Peru Beaches

Sun and Sand on Northern Peru Beaches

Peruvian beaches have an added edge over the many, saturated resorts found in other countries as they are little-known outside of the country. Whilst the waters are not as bright blue as other international beach destinations, the Northern Peru beaches offer a natural ambiance that’s not over-developed, with luxurious, charming properties to relax and unwind after a more active tailormade itinerary in Peru. The best beach hotels are found on soft sandy beaches near relaxed town of Mancora. Asides from soaking up the sunshine, the northern Peru beaches offer opportunity to whale watch, snorkel and enjoy boat rides.

How to Get to the Northern Peru Beaches

The best luxury beach hotels in Peru are located just outside of the northern seaside town of Mancora, a laid-back fishing town and Peru’s most popular beach retreat around 2 or 3 hours drive from either Piura or Tumbes cities. The beach bolthole is easily reached from Lima via a short flight to the northern airports of Tumbes, Talara or Piura, with an overland road transfer to Mancora.

Thanks to a growing number of plush beach hotels, Mancora increasingly attracts sun-seeking jetsetters looking to bask in year-round rays and bathe in its warm waters. Mancora town itself is a popular pit-stop on the backpacker trail. Thankfully, the best hotels in Mancora – Arennas and KiChic – and the best private villas, have sensibly set up shop outside the town on a quiet, sandy stretch of sand. There’s simply no need to leave this patch, so you can save those minutes walking between your accommodation and the perfect sandy spot, spending them instead relaxing with a cocktail in hand. Peru’s luxury beach hotels and private villas are designed for kicking back.

Where to Stay: Hand-picked Recommendations

KiChic

A chic, luxury, boutique retreat that places emphasis on health and wellness. It boasts its own large yoga studio with daily classes, which are also open to outside guests. Room sizes and layouts all differ – some sea-facing and with pools – but throughout the stylish decoration focuses on neutral shades and natural materials. Showers are outdoor, stone affairs. One of KiChic’s draws is its restaurant, with a vegetarian and fish menu (no meat) which includes pizzas, pastas and plenty of superfoods. It’s really worth popping over here for a meal if staying at next door Arennas.

Arrenas

Next door, Arennas delivers five-star comfort with more of a ‘resort’ design and feel. It will similarly appeal to couples, who can curl up on the deckchairs they place on the beach, but it is also the best luxury option for globetrotting families. The pool is larger compared to KiChic’s. Those wishing to avoid kids, however, can always rent one of the sumptuous private villas, which have their own pool and are perfectly positioned for watching the sun set over the sea.

Private Villas

For a more private experience, we offer a collection of luxurious and well appointed villas, perfect for your relaxing beach escape. Our favorites are Casa Adobe, Casa Noa Noa, Casa Blanca,  Casa Velamar, Casa Tierra and Casa Lino. All offer exquisite accommodations, private pools, a on-site staff, and wonderful amenities.

Activities on the Northern Peru Beaches

As with any beach resort, the usual array of outdoor activities can be found: boat excursions, nature trips, horseback riding, kite surfing and all manner of other water sports are all possible on Peru’s northern beaches.

Surfing

Surfing in particular has become extremely popular in Peru with more and more surfers attracted to the untapped potential of the country’s waves. For this reason, we recommend Chicama Surf Resort, an ideal choice for families as it offers a wide range of activities for all age groups. Chicama is becoming well known in the international surfing community for its mile-long, left tubular wave that surfers can ride straight or break up into shorter runs. Read our blog to find out more about the growing popularity of Chicama and surfing in Peru.

Whale Watching

Another favorite adventure activity of ours is whale watching; it is possible to take a boat out on to the open ocean to spot humpback whales migrating north from late July through to October. Aracari’s excursion is on a very comfortable boat called the Yate, which is complete with bathroom. There is an 80% chance of seeing the whales, who at times can produce amazing leaps from the water.

The Moche Route

Perhaps the rustic, natural appeal of this part of Peru is a result of the crashing swells of the Pacific that draws surfers, or it could be the long history that the area has seen–thousands of years back–before the Europeans arrived. Indeed, the North is an area of rich cultural heritage as much as paradisaical landscapes. The Moche Route is dotted with important ruins, and tours to see that can be incorporated into a beach trip north.

These properties can also be reached as an extension to the highlights of the northern cities as part of any luxury travel Peru itinerary; for those exploring the outstanding archaeology in the Trujillo and Chiclayo area in northern Peru — known as The Moche Route — Piura and Chiclayo are linked by a 5-hour journey along a paved highway, meaning that you can comfortably transfer between the two areas. A stop at the picturesque town of Catacaos, a centre for arts and crafts near Piura, is highly recommended on this journey, before unwinding at the beach.

When to Travel

One of the highlights of Mancora is its year round sunshine and warm temperatures. Below you can check out the average weather in Mancora by month. Whale watching is possible from August to November.

Please note that during Peruvian national holidays, specifically around Christmas, the Mancora beaches are more crowded. The private villas and hotels should be booked in advance if you are interested in traveling around the holidays.

Contact us or email travel@aracari.com if you are interested in a luxury, tailormade trip to Peru including a visit to the northern Peru beaches.