One of my favorite Máncora residents, the famous Peruvian hairless
Máncora is Peru’s most popular northern beach resort, boasting year round summer. The turquoise ocean attracts surfers and windsurfers alike and, as any sandy beach, there is so much beauty to take in. There is a lot to appreciate about this dusty little beach-side town.
But I have to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with Máncora.
From Wikipedia:
Summers last from December to April and are very hot. Rain is usual during the night and the temperature can reach over 38 °C. The rest of the year is dry, breezy, and sunny. The temperature during winter and spring never falls bellow 25 C° during daytime and is usually around the high 20′s. Night temperatures drop to around 17 C°.
The beach town has over 30 different beach resorts that receive tourists from all over South America. It boasts a large proportion of luxury restaurants and nightclubs for such a small town of 10,000. Resorts rim the nearby kilometers of beaches connected by a road. Most people arrive by bus, private car, or plane from the Talara Airport or Tumbes Airport. Currently, tourism is booming as a large influx of tourists take to the beaches all year round. In 2005 340,000 tourists visited Mancora. The resort town has the unique characteristic to seem private and empty when relaxing on the beach, while brimming with people late into the night at the many nightclubs in town playing loud music. It is extremely well connected to the rest of the country and with easy worldwide access…
Ideal, no?
The Pan American Hwy serves as Máncora’s main street, boasting restaurants, hostels and an artisan shopping area. There is one small “main street,” sort of a mini main street leading you to the beach, lined with local restaurants, clothing stands and bars. There is a small concrete oceanfront walkway called “malecon,” which unfortunately has a habit of partially falling into the ocean. Over the five months we’ve been here, there has been construction crews consistently trying to rebuild the malecon.
Amazing seafood soup available in Máncora!
Things I LOVE about Máncora: The beautiful beaches (but depending on the tide, the amount of sand available to sit on varies), being able to gasp in awe of the surfers, being entertained by the kite surfers and their ninja moves, the simplicity of life, the feel of local community, the market and its cheap and yummy meals that cost around $1.50, being able to have fresh cieveche every day, and being able to go to the hostels and have a drink, play ping pong, swim in a pool, and even play pool. Really, life is pretty good here.
But night time is different. This town is famous for it’s bars, night clubs and beach parties. But what I really hate is the drug culture…
Things I HATE about Máncora: With the drug and drinking culture, I have seen on average one drunken fist fight each week from my window. The chaotic energy is overwhelming at night and it’s hard to escape. I also hate the loud music. From where we were first living, we had two night clubs to our right and two night clubs to our left, and each club played loud, loud, LOUD music every night – deep thumping bass with competing Reggeaton, a recipe for a headache. We eventually moved, and now I can sleep without ear plugs!
Máncora at sunset at the malecon
It’s a love/hate relationship that I have with Máncora. Moving off the beach helped tremendously, but the relationship has already been established. As always, I try to focus on the positive. My advice? Come to Máncora, and enjoy it! (You just might not want to stay for too long.)
Lainie Liberti is a recovering branding expert, who’s career once focused on creating campaigns for green – eco business, non-profits and conscious business. Dazzling clients with her high-energy designs for over 18 years, Lainie lent her artistic talents to businesses that matter. But that was then.
In 2008, after the economy took a turn, Lainie decided to be the change (instead of a victim) and began the process of “lifestyle redesign,” a joint decision between both her and her 11-year-old son, Miro. They sold or gave away all of of their possessions in 2009 and began a life of travel, service, and exploration. Lainie and her son Miro began their open-ended adventure backpacking through Central and South America. They are slow traveling around the globe allowing inspiration to be their compass. The pair is most interested in exploring different cultures, contributing by serving, and connecting with humanity as ‘global citizens.’
Today Lainie considers herself a digital nomad who is living a location independent life. She and her son write and podcast their experiences from the road at Raising Miro on the Road of Life.
