The Best Places to Stay in Máncora, Peru
by Rebecca Hollman
updated Nov 24, 2018
Máncora, Peru
Máncora is arguably Peru’s best beach town. Located in the north of Peru close to border of Ecuador, Máncora is sheltered from the Pacific Ocean a bit more and so has much warmer, clearer, and sandier beaches. Because it is relatively hard to get to, the crowds are minimal compared to some other beaches closer to Lima. But once your there, boy is the reward worth it. I could have easily spent a few months living in Máncora without feeling bored. This hippie beach town offers tons of hostels and guesthouse/hospedaje accommodations, but it also surprisingly has a variety of extremely up-scale hotels to choose from as well. Check out the best hostels and hotels in Máncora below to find the perfect place for your stay in this amazing beach town.
High-End Accommodation
The town of Máncora mostly has cheaper accommodation options since it is a hippie/backpacker town. However, there are two up-scale hotels technically in the town itself. Both are farther towards the end of town heading out towards Vichayito, with Las Olas being closer to the center of town. There are plenty of other extremely nice hotels around the area, but are either farther to the south along the road to Vichayito or north along the road to Zorritos. The high-end hotels in Máncora are listed below in no particular order, but my personal favorites are starred with an asterisk.
See below for all the hotels in Vichayito and Punta Sal/Zorritos
Middle-Tier
Somewhere in between high-end and guesthouse, falls this category of “middle tier.” These are hotels with private rooms, pools, restaurants, and are usually on the beach but the accommodations in the room aren’t quite 5 star hotel. These places usually run around $40 USD to $70 USD per night for a room. Del Wawa and Punta Ballena are directly on the beach but Del Wawa is in the heart of town and so its beach area is always filled with people. They do a good job of sectioning off the beach area for guests and providing tons of chairs for laying on. Punta Ballena is at the edge of town and so is way more quiet. Terral is on a hill up towards the lighthouse and has a good high vantage viewpoint of the ocean. Ariya Hotel is right on the main strip surrounded by restaurants, but has a really good pool and 6 or 7 floors that give a view over the buildings to the ocean. They are listed below in no particular order, but my personal favorites are starred with an asterisk.
Ariya Hotel
Terral
Guesthouse/Hospedaje
Honestly, I have spent a lot of nights in hostels and I’m all about saving money but I think hospedajes/guesthouses are the way to go. If you are traveling with one other person then a guesthouse is probably going to be the same price or cheaper than a bed in a hostel. Plus, you get your own room and your own bathroom, but you still get to share the living area/common space with other travelers. Most guesthouses run around 60 soles (or $20 USD) per night for a private room. When split between two people, $10 USD a night is about the same price as a bunk bed in a dorm room in a hostel. Most of the guesthouses are located in the area back behind the lighthouse, which is a much quieter area but is still walking distance from town. They are listed below in no particular order, but my personal favorites are starred with an asterisk.
Hostels
If you’re traveling to Máncora on a budget, then you’re probably only considering staying in a hostel. Máncora has a handful of hostels to offer, ranging from party hostels to yoga hostels to surf hostels. Palo Santo, Loki and Runasimi are located along the main strip in town while Gandhi and Geko are located behind the lighthouse in the area with most of the hospedajes. I personally preferred staying a little bit farther back from the main road and then walking the 5-10 minutes to get food or go to the beach. Loki is known for being the party hostel, so be forewarned. But it does have a massive swimming pool and is located right on the beach. They are listed below in no particular order, but my personal favorites are starred with an asterisk.
Vichayito Hotels
Going west from the edge of Máncora all the way to Vichayito approximately 15 minutes, is a strip of extremely nice hotels lined all along the edge of the beach. All of the Vichayito hotels are not walking distance from Máncora, so expect to take a mototaxi into town if you want to spend any time in the town itself. Almost all of these hotels will have their own restaurants, so you don’t really need to go to Máncora if you don’t want. If you would rather spend your day relaxing on a secluded beach and experiencing the vibe of a trendy, high-end hotel, then this is the area for you. All hotels along the strip from Vichayito to Máncora are high-end hotels and are all over 300 soles per night. They are listed below in no particular order, but my personal favorites are starred with an asterisk.
Puerto del Sol
Máncoral
Rustico
Sunsent
Las Piramides
Ruta 66
Punta Sal/Zorritos Hotels
Along the coast from Máncora to Tumbes are a bunch of small beach towns, all with their own bungalows and hotels. There are hotels pretty much all along Panamerica Highway 1 on the beach side, but the most notable of these towns are Punta Sal and Zorritos. There isn’t much to do in these towns beside lay on the beach or lounge beside a pool, so staying here is more for someone who wants an “everything at the hotel” experience. Expect to eat most/all of your meals at your hotel, spend your day relaxing using the hotel amenities, and just chilling on a beautiful, secluded beach. If you want a little more excitement, consider staying closer to Máncora. All hotels along the strip from Punta Sal to Tumbes are high-end hotels and are all over 300 soles per night. They are listed below in no particular order, but my personal favorites are starred with an asterisk.
photo source: flickr