Piura Beach – Mancora
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Máncora and Las Pocitas: Piura is home to the legendary beach of Máncora (721 miles) a favorite with the surfing set, particularly from November to January, when the best waves are to be found. Beach-goers who are not surf-mad head for Las Pocitas, a rock formation near the beach, where natural pools have formed, an ideal spot for a quiet swim. Vacationers’ fond of hot springs will find them at Quebrada Fernández, natural thermal baths where hot mineral-laden water bubbles up from underground.
Cabo Blanco: At the town of El Alto, a detour peels away through the cliffs, giving visitors superb views of the Pacific Ocean until it arrives at Cabo Blanco. This fishing cove in Piura is ideal for surfers, while the rest head for nearby RestÃn, a small beach which is protected from the wind.
Colán: Some 10miles north of Paita lies Colán, also known as La Esmeralda, one of Peru’s most scenic coves, where the houses have been built on top of wooden pilings by the seaside. Colán also features a small airstrip. Just 10 minutes away on a desert plain lies San Lucas de Colán, the site of the first church built in Peru, the work of Dominican friars in 1536.
Bayóvar – Nonura: The beaches of Bayóvar in Piura are Peru’s last virgin beaches, and without a doubt the most beautiful. Hemmed in by sweeping bays or white granite rocky outcrops which hang from the sand dunes, the area features a clear blue sea teeming with dolphins, turtles and flocks of seagulls. To reach these beaches, visitors need to take a detour of 550 miles to the North Pan-American Highway which leads to Bayóvar and then head down the coast.
