Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [113]
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MOLLENDO
054 / pop 22,800
Reached via a desert landscape of delicate pinks, browns and grays, this old-fashioned beach resort is another popular getaway for arequipeños during the coastal summer, from January to early April. Beyond the sand dunes the desert becomes very rocky, with brave cacti eking out an existence in the salt-laden soil.
Orientation & Information
Mollendo is a pleasant colonial town, with hilly streets and a long beach. The bus terminal is a quick ride from the town’s main plazas, which are just up from the beach. BCP (Arequipa 330) has a Visa/MasterCard ATM and changes US dollars. Internet cafes are everywhere; StarNet (Arequipa 327; per hr S1) has fast connections. Telefónica-Perú (Arequipa 625) is north of the central market. Near the main plaza, J & R Servicios (53-3184; Arequipa 178) is a travel agency that can help with tourist information and the purchase of bus and plane tickets.
Sights & Activities
When temperatures are searing from January through to at least March, aquatic parks (admission S4) open alongside the sea, and beachfront discos stay thumping until the wee hours of the morning. But Mollendo can be like a ghost town throughout the rest of the year. Once a bustling port, most ships now dock in the larger port of Matarani, 15km to the northwest.
Sleeping
Reservations are a must during the high season, January through April, when weekend prices may also soar.
La Posada Inn (53-4610; Arequipa 337; s/d without bathroom S20/40, s & d/tr incl breakfast S60/90) This is an excellent, well-cared-for option run by a welcoming family and scented with honeysuckle in summer. Rooms in the lower area have hot water, and some have local TV. Rates include breakfast.
Hostal La Casona (53-3160; Arequipa 188-192; s/d S40/60/90) Just as central as El Plaza, La Casona has high-ceilinged, airy rooms with cable TV and hot water. The staff can be stiff necked, but the atmosphere is casual.
El Plaza Hostal (53-2460; plazahostalmollendo@hotmail.com; Arequipa 209; s/d/tr S50/70/95; ) This large hotel has spacious yet sparse rooms, hot showers and local TV. It’s another flower-bedecked spot with smiling employees.
Hostal La Villa (53-2317; lavillahotel@speedy.com.pe; Mariscal Castilla 366; s/d/tr incl breakfast S56/73/88; ) Bedraggled and showing its age, this historic mansion is a chilled place to lie back on a sun lounger with a cold drink and one foot dangling into the plunge pool. It has carpeted rooms with cable TV, plus a garden terrace and restaurant.
Hotel Bahia del Puerto (53-2990; hotelbahiadelpuerto@hotmail.com; Ugarte 301; s/d/tr incl breakfast S70/140/150; ) Set on a cliff high above the ocean, this hotel is light and airy with touches of Asian decor. There are great views from the pool deck, though the smell of frying food from the chifa next door is ever-present.
Eating
There are dozens of snack bars near the beach, and cevicherías abound in town and near the beach.
Heladería Venecia (Comercio at Blondell; ice cream S2-5; noon-8pm) For ice cream and snacks, this has some intriguing local fruit flavors and may tempt you with free samples.
Marco Antonio (53-4258; Comercio 258; mains S15-24; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 8am-7pm Sun) is a good no-frills Peruvian cafe with bargain set meals.
Getting There & Around
The terminal terrestre (bus station) is about 2km northwest of the center; there’s a S1 departure tax. A couple of small bus companies, including Transportes del Carpio (53-2571) and Santa Ursula (53-2586) have frequent departures throughout the day for Arequipa (S8, two hours). Colectivos wait outside the terminal to whisk arriving passengers down to the town’s plazas and the beach (S0.50, 10 minutes).
Combis (S1.20, 20 minutes) and colectivos (S2,