Southern Beaches of Peru

After our couple days in Arequipa, the mini getaway to Chile continued, next stop was Mollendo. Neither of us had any idea what to expect in Mollendo, as there wasn't much about it in my friend's Lonely Planet, and most travelers we had talked to hadn't been there either. Well, this is probably because there are no tourist here. At all. Usually, I would like being in a place with no tourist, it's a break, a chance to get a glimpse at the real Peruvian lifestyle. However, this case was a little bit different, because it was summer break, so everyone from Arequipa and other cities inland flock to the beaches in summer. (Think like Daytona Beach Spring Break if you are familiar with Florida). The beaches were packed, and the stares we were getting were intense. Mollendo might be nicer to visit when it isn't summer- not sure. There are lots of nice little restaurants and bars around, but I had turned into such a cheap scape that a $3 meal was breakin the bank, so it was hard to enjoy the nice places. 

We had a few fun little adventures, and I was just so stoked to be in sunny weather at the beach- that the Artic-like waters didn't even bother me too much! Beaches here are so different than in America. There are people walking around selling EVERYTHING  you could imagine. Pool rafts, sand toys, umbrellas, jewelry, clothes and every type of food or drink possible. It's exactly how the buses in South America, but beach version. I definitely wouldn't mind getting Margs and ceviche served to me while laying on the beach in Miami. Anyways, let's conclude that Mollendo is a nice weekend get away if you are looking to go to a beach and just hang out enjoying the sun. There is a big market, a water park, a few clothing shops, and some yummy restaurants. However, if you are looking for a party beach town, I would head straight to Lima or Mancora (my second favorite place in Peru!!)

P.S- The sun is INTENSE! Being from Florida, I thought my skin was unable to burn- well, turns out in South America you get fried ! So load up on the sun screen whities. 

xx SLW