The Best Things to do in Mancora

Mancora is one of the best beach towns in Peru and is also one of the best known, for its waves, surfing, sandy beaches, food and stunning views. Most people will break up their trip from Ecuador down to Lima or from Lima to Ecuador with a stop in Mancora, to relax and enjoy the hot temperatures and laid back beach lifestyle.

Learn to Surf

Mancora has beautiful golden sandy beaches and warm waters making it an exceptional year-round surfing spot for those that already surf or who want to learn to surf. Mancora is enjoyed by many surfers because of the year round warm waters.

Mancora has an impressive variety of waves. Whether you are a beginner or an expert surfer, Mancora has something for you. The main beaches, such as Las Pocitas and Mancora Beach, are ideal for beginners with long, gentle waves, perfect for learning. For the more experienced surfers, nearby beaches like Cabo Blanco (35km south of Mancora) and Lobitos offer more challenging and exciting waves.

On Mancora beach you will find many surf schools offering surfing lessons, as well as many hostels and hotels too. Surf lessons average around 80 soles per hour including board and wet suit and an experienced teacher will go with you, so don’t be afraid and feel this exciting sensation of surfing the waves. It is a very exciting experience that you will never forget. If you are just wanting to rent a board then it is around 30 – 40 soles.

Spend the Day at Mancora Beach

Mancora has beautiful sandy beaches where you can spend the day relaxing. You can either take your towel to the beach and relax on it or rent a chair and umbrella on the beach. You can’t miss them when you enter Playa Mancora.

The water is beautiful and warm and lovely to cool down in and normally enjoyable to swim in, though as it is possible to surf here, sometimes the waves can be quite large and there are quite a few rocks in the main area.

At lunch make sure to visit one of the local restaurants and try fresh ceviche, the well known Peruvian dish that the coast is known for.

If you’re looking for more adventure, Mancora also offers activities such as horseback riding along the beach and Jet Ski hire.

To conclude your perfect day at Mancora beach, don’t miss the breathtaking sunset over the ocean. Shades of orange and pink paint the sky as the sun dips below the horizon, creating an unforgettable spectacle.

Las Positas Beach

Located around 3km south of the main Playa Mancora, you can find Las Positas Beach. You can walk to it along the beach from Mancora or you can take a tuk tuk for a few soles.

This beach you will find is quiet, with few people but a lot of the area from the beach is lined with either houses or hotels. The beach is 6km along and you will also find the main Mancora Pier and the area where all the fishing boats are located.

If you want a relaxing day, away from people in calmer waters, then this is the perfect location. There are a couple of restaurants open to the public where you can enjoy a nice lunch, but nothing like as many as the centre of Mancora.

Walk up to the Lighthouse in Mancora

One of my favourite things to do in Mancora is to climb to the lighthouse, where you can see it, perched high up on the side of the mountain as you enter Mancora from the south.

Mancora’s lighthouse, known as “Faro de Punta Salinas,” sits atop a cliff and is an important part of the region’s maritime history. It was built in 1978 and is still in operation, guiding ships with its century-old light.

The climb to the lighthouse will take you up steep, rocky trails, but the reward in the form of panoramic views is well worth it. As you climb, you will appreciate the beauty of the Peruvian coastline and the vast ocean stretching to the horizon.

Once you reach the top, you will be greeted by amazing views of the coast, the beaches and the town of Mancora and the surrounding area.

It can be a hot climb to get up to the Lighthouse, though it takes only 20-30 minutes from the main street of Mancora and if you go in the late afternoon then make sure to stay and watch the sunset, as it is spectacular to see from here.

Watch Sunset on the Beach in Mancora

Watching the sunset on the beach of Mancora is an amazing experience where you can watch the sun setting on the ocean and then the sky lights up in shades of gold, orange and pink.

The sun sets in Mancora at around 6.18pm in June and 6.37pm in December, there is very little difference all year round, due to Mancora being so close to the equator.

You will find many people at the beach from around 5.30pm who are either finishing their day at the beach or who come down to watch the sunset. It is spectacular to see and one of the things you should not miss during your trip to Mancora.

Eat Ceviche

One of the most famous dishes along the coast of Peru is ceviche. Ceviche is an amazing dish that combines fresh fish or seafood with lime, chili, onion and coriander, it is not cooked but the raw fish or seafood is marinated in the sauce and is delicious. It is normally prepared with locally caught fish from that morning.

Ceviche is normally eaten at lunch or until 4pm as it is prepared in the morning and if you eat it in the evening you can be at risk of getting sick from it, unless you try it at a high end restaurant.

Personally when I have visited Mancora I have eaten many times in Los Delfines which is just by the entrance to the beach, along the front. If you can get a table upstairs then you get an amazing view of the beach and sea while you are eating. In this area you will find many restaurants.

Enjoy the Nightlife in Mancora

Mancora is famous for it’s nightlife and backpackers coming up from Lima and down from Ecuador will normally spend a few nights here to relax at the beach and enjoy the nightlife. Once night falls, this small town transforms into an exciting nightlife epicenter.

The most famous place for parties is Loki, it is a hostel with a pool by the beach but it is known for its parties. If you want to sleep then probably not the place for you but it is great place to party. You can also enjoy the parties at The Point and at Selina’s.

Buy the Local Handicrafts

As you are walking around Mancora, especially along the main road (the Pan American highway that runs through the town) you will see many market stalls selling beautiful local handicrafts and you can find people walking along the beach selling their products.

Local artisans use ancestral skills and traditional techniques to create unique pieces that reflect the cultural identity of the region from textiles including clothing, sarongs and table decorations to ceramics with unique designs that reflect the local culture.

You will also find many wood sculptures that have been hand-carved, often depicting the fauna and flora of the area, as well as cultural elements.

Yoga Classes

Yoga is very popular in Mancora and many people stop here to enjoy the sun, relax, surf and practice Yoga. There are numerous places that offer yoga classes for all levels. Just ask in your hotel or hostel for options for Yoga and you can find classes on a daily basis. It is also possible to join a sound therapy or meditation classes.

Snorkeling

The warm, crystal clear waters of Mancora are perfect setting for scuba diving and snorkeling. Peru is not known for scuba diving and don’t expect it be the best you have ever done as the options are limited to diving at an abandoned oil rig or diving at some of the reefs in punta sal.

Snorkeling though is very popular close to Mancora in Los Organos. Here you can swim close to the pier amongst the turtles that attracted to the pier by them putting out food to get the turtles to come closer. This is not a great option as the turtles are coming to shore and are relying on this food rather than searching for it themselves in their local habitat.

There is also the opportunity to swim with sea turtles in their natural environment by going out with local fishermen, though again they are throwing food into the water to attract the turtles to the boats. Here you can see green turtles and leatherback turtles as they like the warm water.

Generally you do not see turtles further south than Mancora as the water starts to cool down and these turtles do not live in cold water.

Whale watching

If you want to see Whales in Peru then between July and October, you can see these majestic creatures migrate to the warm Pacific waters off Mancora to breed and give birth. You will find many whale watching trips during this time, though you are not guaranteed to see a whale.

The majority of the whales you will see in this area and humpback whales though occasionally it is possible to see Sperm whales and Orcas. You can see their acrobatics and them diving down into the depths of the ocean.

During whale watching season, it is possible to encounter the impressive humpback whales. These giants of the ocean come to Peruvian waters to breed and give birth, creating a unique opportunity to observe their behaviour and acrobatics.

You can book a whale watching tour at many of the agencies found throughout Mancora.

Have you visited Mancora before, are there any activities you enjoyed doing while you were there? If so let me know in the comments below.