If a weekend learning to surf, swimming with turtles, whale watching, acai bowls, and sunsets sounds good to you ... Mancora should be your next vacation spot! ILP volunteers recently took a little trip up the northern coast of Peru to spend some time at the beach town Mancora and we're hearing rave, 10/10 reviews. Sounds like it's time to plan a trip here.
Volunteer in Peru with ILP!
Learn more about spending a few months living in Peru with other college-age volunteers
While you volunteer in Peru for a few months with International Language Programs, you'll have time throughout the trip to take vacations to explore Peru and beyond. Mancora has become a favorite vacation for those who are looking for a relaxing trip on the beach with tons of fun excursions to sign up for.
Mancora started as a little fishing town on the Pacific coast, but has popped on the radar as a worthwhile destination after it was discovered by more and more travelers. It's way, way up on the northern end of Peru, about a 4-5 hour drive from the Ecuador border.
Although it's becoming more popular, it's holding strong to its original charm. Mancora is known for being a laid-back, surfer's spot with amazing seafood and beautiful sandy beaches. There's tons to do here, which makes it the perfect spot to vacation for a few days: stay right on the beach, learn to surf, eat fresh food, ride horses, swim with turtles, and spot whales. It's a dream!
It's also swimmable weather through the year, so it makes for a good beach trip no matter when you come. The temps do dip during their winter (June-September), but even then you'll still see people jumping in.
Mancora, named after the town, is the main beach and therefore the most popular so make sure to carve out some time to hang out here. You'll find a big, wide sandy beach with lots of shops and restaurants nearby. There are strong surf breaks here so that's why it's most popular with surfers.
It's usually the busiest beach, especially during their summer season (December-April).
Las Pocitas (also known as Mancora Chico) is another well loved beach. It sits just south of town and is lined with palm trees. The water is typically calmer here, so it makes for a better spot if you're wanting to swim. The cool thing is that when the tide is low, the rocks form natural tide pools! Just a heads up that it can be a little trickier to get to compared to the main beach—you'll likely need transportation and parts of the roads are unpaved.
There are also more beaches nearby, including spots like Vichayito and Los Órganos. They're usually a bit quieter and isolated, which again means that they're a little harder to get to.
Surfing is a huge part of the Mancora scene! You could sit on the beach and watch the surfers ... or you could get out there yourself and say you surfed in Peru! There are a handful of good shops in the area that offer surf lessons for beginners.
You can get affordable private lessons as well as group lessons if you have a few friends who want to join in with you. Lessons are usually a little over an hour and typically around 50 Peruvian soles (about $15-20 USD). The waves are a little gentler during the winter months (December-March) which can be nice for beginners, but surfing happens here year round.
You can sign up for lessons when you get to the beach, so don't worry about arranging it in advance. Just look for a surf shop or a tent set up along the beach to get going. Some don't accept cards, though, so it's good to have cash just in case. You'll also want to go early in the day when the waves are usually a little calmer and the beach isn't so busy.
Humpback Whales like to hang out in the warm waters of Peru during the winter migration, where they can raise their calves. That means you Mancora is an awesome spot to catch a glimpse!
The thing is that they're only here during that particular season, mid July-October, so you have to catch it at the right time. You might be able to catch them a bit earlier or a bit later than the typical season though, just depending on the year. So make sure to ask while you're in Mancora.
This is the sort of thing you'll want to book ahead of time since tours typically depart early in the morning, especially if you're only in Mancora for a couple of days. Check online so that you can easily compare prices and find the best one for you. A lot of times you can find options with added activities like swimming with turtles! Just search online — I tend to like using GetYourGuide because I've had good luck with them no matter where I'm traveling across the world (here's one tour example to check out), but there are other sites that will have tour postings as well. Look for a tour that includes hotel pickup to make your life easier!
Green Turtles like to hang out in this area, especially around El Nuro which is about 30ish minutes south of Mancora. So a really popular thing to do here is go snorkeling with them! Count me in.
The best way to do this is via a tour. They're pretty easy to book online ahead of time, so again, just do a quick search online on places like Get Your Guide. Like mentioned above, if your trip falls during the right time of year, you can sometimes find tours that include both whale watching and swimming with turtles! The best time to swim with turtles is from November to March because the sea tends to be a bit calmer, but if the weather is cooperating, you can swim with them year-round. Look for a tour that picks you up at your hotel, brings you out to this area, and brings you back home after.
As with all animal interaction opportunities around the world, we do our best to find ethical ones, as well as ways we can approach the activity without adding harm to the animals or the environment. For the most part, tour operators in this area prioritize the turtle's well-being (which we love!), but it's just something to be aware of. It's important to educate yourself ahead of time so that you can choose tour operators that implement more ethical practices in their tours! Here are some things to look out for:
1. Don't touch the turtles. Even the slightest touch can cause stress.
2. Avoid feeding turtles. Some companies include this as part of their tour, but it's best not to feed wild animals for a variety of reasons (it creates dependency, alters their diet, etc).
3. Avoid chasing turtles and never block their path . Let them approach you.
4. Use reef safe sunscreen.
5. Choose a tour that prioritizes the well-being of the turtles and encourages you to do the same!
If you've ever dreamed of riding horses along the beach ... now's your chance. This is another popular activity here. We recommend timing it for sunset if you can. Not only will your views be beautiful, but it's usually not as hot as it is during midday (which is great for both you and the horse). Plus there are usually less people, especially if you're here during busier seasons.
This is one activity that people tend to recommend booking in person, rather than beforehand online. I'd start by asking the front desk of your hostel or hotel — they usually have connections and can recommend good operators that they're familiar with who treat the horses well.
Make sure to start your day with breakfast at Palmeras Eco Tienda y Café Mancora! ILP volunteers have said this was a standout of their Mancora vacation. Their menu is full of things like smoothie bowls (full of fresh fruit, granola, oats, and coconut milk), sourdough toast topped with savory eggs or sweet peanut butter, and banana pancakes. You can't go wrong, but their "Blue Ocean Bowl", dishing up blue spirulina, bananas, blueberries, yogurt and granola, is especially popular.
Find them on Instagram
Find them on Google Maps
So many travelers to Peru head to world famous places like Macchu Pichu, but to get you oriented, Mancora is actually on the opposite side of the country. It sits way up on the northwestern coast of Peru.
Because Peru is so widespread, flying is often the best way to destinations like this that are further away. There is an airport in nearby Talara, another port city south of Mancora. It's about a 1-1.5 hour drive away, so you'll just need to catch a ride to your hotel in Mancora from the airport. Uber is a good option, but it's also possible to catch a bus or take a taxi.
If you're looking for more flight options though, there's also an airport in Piura (about 3 hours away from Mancora) and Tumbes (about 2 hours away).
For ILP Volunteers
Here's an example itinerary that past groups have done for this trip that might help you work out the details of your own trip:
1. Drive to Lima to catch a flight there. You may need to stay at a hostel in Lima if you have an early morning flight.
2. Fly from Lima to Talara — you can usually find direct routes with flights that are a little under 2 hours.
3. Take an Uber from the Talara airport to your hostel, with drive time being around 1-1.5 hours.
There are various places to stay here that meet every budget. You can even stay right on the beach for an affordable price! Make sure to do some research to go over your options before your trip.
One group of volunteers gave high recommendations after staying at Hotel Suites del Mar. It's beachside, giving you access to a pool with ocean views and free bicycles to get around town, all at a great price. The hotel sits right by the main beach, Mancora Beach, and about a mile from Playa Pocitas.
See Manora While You Volunteer In Peru!
International Language Programs (ILP) has opportunities for college-age volunteers to live abroad with other volunteers — you'll give back by spending time with local kids and really get to immerse yourself into the culture. There are programs all over the world, but we're really excited about our volunteer program in Peru! Learn more by clicking the button below.