Source: 123rf
Peru is the most popular destination at the moment. Even without any training, tourists are attracted by Machu Picchu and they want to go there at any cost (without knowing that halfway they might faint due to lack of oxygen).
The famous Inca archaeological site, which in the collective imagination is seen as the remains of an ancient and fascinating lost city, is a UNESCO heritage and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, as well as being the third most visited site in the world after Pompeii and Ostia Antica.
But in Peru there is not only that. Few associate a trip to Peru with a beach holiday. Yet its coasts extend for over 3.000 kilometers along the Pan-American Highway, in a succession of very different beaches.
From soft white sand to pristine beaches, overlooking a placid warm sea or washed by the imposing waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Peruvian beaches allow both sun and relaxation holidays and active holidays for surfing or kite enthusiasts. The southern coasts, surrounded by desert landscapes, have colder waters as they are exposed to the Humboldt current, while the northern coasts are more tropical and are washed by warm waters that benefit from the El Niño current.
The historic city of Huanchaco, 600 km north of Lima, is considered the cradle of surfing and in 2013 was named World Surfing Reserve. While on the gigantic beach of punta rocasIn 1965, the first World Surfing Championships were held and international competitions take place here every year in February.
On the beaches of the Lima region, especially in Horseshoe, the waves can reach up to 4 meters in height. For water sports enthusiasts just learning their first waves, however, it is possible to try their hand at Cerro Azul beach, south of the capital. While on the renowned beach of Punta Hermosa in Lima, waves that reach up to 8 meters in height are formed.
In the Ica region there are the beaches of Paracas, one of the richest ecosystems on the Peruvian coast, ideal for lovers of diving or sport fishing and for those who love sailing. Here the sand is very white and is surrounded by postcard rock formations.
Going up the Pan-American Highway, north of Trujillo, you come across Chicama Beach known internationally thanks to the longest and most sinuous left-hand wave in the world and is a popular destination among both professional and amateur surfers. Even those who don't practice water sports will be fascinated by the waves that form a fabric of water. A short distance away they then find the Bayóvar beaches, characterized by a clear sea, dunes from which white granite rocks emerge and where it is easy to meet turtles and dolphins.
It is then found in the Piura region Mancora, a lively tropical paradise where holidaymakers can enjoy surfing, kitesurfing, longboarding, bodyboarding or, more simply, enjoying the beach under a straw umbrella admiring the cobalt blue waters of the ocean.
Along the coast north towards Tumbes, between July and October, it is possible to observe the migration and mating of humpback whales. While a little further south it is worth stopping in the small fishing village of Cape Blanco, made famous by Ernest Hemingway who lived here and drew inspiration for the writing of The Old Man and the Sea. It is an ideal place to listen to and admire the sea but also for deep sea fishing, underwater fishing and surfing.
It is also found in the Tumbes area Punt Sal, one of the most fascinating places in Peru, characterized by carob hills, pristine beaches and clear waters. Also in this region you can visit Punta Camaron, with its long beach lined with coconut palms.
In short, if you are not an expert trekker and have not trained for a year, forget about the mountains and opt for the sea. You will not regret it.
