Last Updated on July 10, 2023
In October, JC and I flew to Lima, Peru for the first time since the pandemic and Isabella finally met JC’s Peruvian family for the first time. October is technically spring in Peru (opposite hemisphere). However, the closer you go to the equator, the warmer it gets. For that reason, we decided to take a trip to Mancora and Vichayito, in the north of Peru, for 5 nights to enjoy some warmer weather, sunshine and, most importantly, the beach. Read below for how to plan your trip to Mancora and Vichayito and make the most of your time there.
How to Plan Your Trip to Mancora & Vichayito: When to Go
December through March is peak season in Mancora
We went to Mancora and Vichayito in October, which is technically spring season. The weather was chilly. At night we were in pants and jackets and during the day, while we could be on the beach in swimsuits, going into the pool or the ocean was out of the question (at least for me). In general, in October highs are 26 C (79 F) and lows are 19 C (66 F). It was also very windy. Summer in Peru technically starts in December and ends in March. If I were to go to Mancora again, I would try in May or June when the weather is warmer, but not as hot nor as crowded as during the peak summer months.
How to Plan Your Trip to Mancora & Vichayito: How to Get There
Fly from Lima to Talara Airport and then take a car or taxi
The trip to Mancora and Vichayito from Lima is a long one. First, you need to fly almost 2 hours from Lima airport to Talara airport. Then, you need to take a car or a taxi over 1 hour to either Vichayito or Mancora, depending on where you are staying. Mancora is about 25 minutes further north from Vichayito. We arranged with the hotel we were staying at in Vichayito to have a van waiting for us at the airport. However, that van never came! Luckily, we were able to pick up a van in the parking lot of the airport.
Where Should You Stay – Mancora or Vichayito?
Stay in Vichayito if you want an all-inclusive hotel on the beach
Before our trip, I had only heard of Mancora, not Vichayito. Mancora is well-known world-over as the birth place of surfing. So what about Vichayito? Vichayito is a small resort town. It has beach and resorts directly on the beach. Outside of the resorts, there isn’t too much to do. The resorts are family friendly, with lots of games and activities geared towards children and adults alike. For example, our resort had a game room with pool (billiards), sapo (a Peruvian game), table tennis and table soccer. There was even a night club at the resort, although I never saw anyone there. Mancora is more like a city, with a downtown, restaurants, shops, etc. You can easily drive or take a moto taxi (~ 20 soles one-way) between the towns, and if you want to walk along the beach from Vichayito to Mancora, it takes about 2 hours. We went to Mancora almost everyday to take surfing lessons and eat at our all-time favorite restaurant, La Meche (we ate here three times in four days!).
How to Plan Your Trip to Mancora and Vichayito: Where to Eat
Eat at La Meche in Mancora for the most authentic and delicious Peruvian food
JC and I follow a YouTube channel called ‘Viaja y Prueba’ hosted by Luciano Mazzetti, in which Luciano travels throughout Peru (and other countries as well) and tries local food. Before coming to Mancora, we made sure to watch his episode on Mancora and bookmark some of his favorite restuarants, including Restaurant Jasusi, and of course, La Meche. While Jasusi is very good, La Meche by far blew us away. The star dishes are the ‘los cuatro ceviches de Meche’ (four different ceviches, including ‘conchas negras’ or black clams) and ‘triple puerto pizaro’ which has three dishes within it: ‘chicharron mixto’ or mixed fried seafood , ‘conchas negras’ with rice, and a crab paste. And of course, we always had a jar of chicha morada to wash it all down. On our third visit we even had the good fortune to meet Meche herself!
How to Plan Your Trip to Mancora and Vichayito: What to Do
Go Horseback Riding on the Beach in Vichayito
In Vichayito, there is not too much to do outside of the resorts. You can horseback ride on the beach (although there are signs saying it is forbidden). Men walk on the beach with horses, though some of the horses look very malnourished. We were able to connect with one family with very nice and well-cared for horses and the owner let me gallop down the beach on my own with his horse for about 30 minutes in the early morning, when there weren’t many people on the beach. However, this is unusual as most of the time they only allow walking with the horses on the beach. I had to ask around until I found the right contact, and then showed him that I was a capable rider with his horse. Other activities in the area include surfing in Mancora and whale watching in Los Organos.
Learn to Surf at the Birthplace of Surfing
Mancora is known as the birthplace of surfing, so what better place to learn how to ride some waves? We were able to book a class without pre-booking at this spot right on the beach. We paid 80 soles which included the board for the full day, wetsuit, a class on surfing theory and about an hour and a half in the ocean with the instructor. Each of us had our own personal instructor who went out with us in order to assist us in catching and riding the waves. It was super fun but also very exhausting!
Go Whale Watching in Los Organos
Another activity you can do near Vichayito is whale watching. If you are lucky enough to visit Mancora or Vichayito between the months of July and October you may catch a sight of the Humpback whales as they migrate further south to Chile. We booked our whale watching tour with Oceanica Expeditions in Los Organos, which is about a 15 minute cab ride from Vichayito. The tour starts early! We had to be at the docks at 6 am. Be sure to arrange your taxi the day before as you are not likely to find so many taxis at that hour. We paid about 30 soles one way to the pier of Los Organos. Also be sure to dress warmly on the boat as it is very windy! We had a great tour with Oceanica and saw a mother Humpback whale and her calf, plus sea lions and dolphins. We took our tour on the yacht, which I would also recommend, as the waters can be quite rough, so better to be on a bigger boat. And FYI we did not bring Isabella with us, although there were children on the boat.
Overall, we had a really great time in Vichayito and Mancora and would definitely recommend it. The only thing we did not love was our hotel. Do not stay there! If we were to go back, we would probably stay at Las Cabañas de Antica, which was also on the beach and nearby our hotel, but the food was much better (we ate at their restaurant) and the vibe was more ’boutique’ hotel rather than giant chain hotel.
Have you been to Mancora or Vichayito? Let us know your favorite spots in the comments below! Want to do some more traveling in Peru? Check out our guide to Machu Picchu below!
Read More: How to Get to Machu Picchu: A Step-by-Step Guide
