Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [318]
Hospedaje Amazonas (52-5266; Tumbes 317; s/d S28/42) Aged but well maintained, the huge rooms here have fans, and a communal TV lounge offers some entertainment.
Hospedaje Chicho (52-2282, /fax 52 3696; Tumbes 327; s/d S35/38) Very clean rooms in a central location, helpful and friendly staff, hot showers, cable TV, fan, mini-fridge and phone all add up to solid budget fare. Mosquito nets are also provided on request.
Turismo Inversiones César (52-2883; Huáscar 311; s/d S26/45) Warm colors throughout and well-worn, creaky polished floorboards give this place a pleasant lived-in feeling. Throw in a gregarious owner, some interesting design choices and clean rooms with TV, and you should definitely give this place a second look.
Hotel Cosmos (52-4366; Piura 900; s/d S36/60) Recently graduated from mere hostal (guesthouse) status, Hotel Cosmos has solid rooms with TVs and space in spades. Potted plants in the hallway brighten things up a bit. There are poker machines and a snack bar downstairs if you get the urge to munch, gamble or both.
Hostal Lourdes (52-2966; Mayor Bodero 118; s/d S40/62) Clean, safe and friendly, the Lourdes includes a top-floor restaurant among its amenities. Austere rooms have fans, phones, TV and hot showers.
Hostal Roma (52-4137, 52-2494, 52-5879; Bolognesi 425; s/d S55/70) A modern hotel with top Plaza de Armas real estate, the Roma is a little more upscale than the rabble and affords guests clean, comfortable rooms with hot shower, fan, phone and cable TV.
MIDRANGE
Hotel Chilimasa (52-4555; Pan-American Hwy North, Km 1172, Manzana 2A; s/d S78/108; ) About 2km north of town en route to the airport, this hotel supplies comfortable rooms and a restaurant, but it’s the pool that will probably get your attention.
Hotel Costa del Sol (52-3991; www.costadelsolperu.com; San Martín 275; s/d/ste with breakfast S215/280/325; ) This is by far the best hotel in town, providing a decent restaurant, a pleasant bar and a garden, plus a Jacuzzi, adult and children’s swimming pools, a small casino and a gym. The comfortable rooms have cable TV, direct-dial phone, fan, mini-fridge, and bathroom, hot shower and blow dryer. A cold cocktail is included – and is most welcome.
Eating
There are several bars and restaurants on the Plaza de Armas, many with shaded tables and chairs outside – a real boon in hot weather. It’s a pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by as you drink a cold beer and wait for your bus.
Restaurant Sí Señor (52-1937; Bolívar 115; menús S4-5, meals S9-18; 7:30am-2am) With pleasant streetside tables outside and quixotic, slow-turning fans inside, Sí Señor serves delicious seafood dishes – any kind of a grilled fish is a great bet here – and is a cheaper version of the nearby Restaurant Latino.
Las Terrazas (52-1575; Araujo 549; meals S8-18; 9am-8pm) A little bit out of the town center, this popular place is well worth the S1 mototaxi ride. Packed with hungry diners daily, it serves up heaped plates of seafood, and will ceviche or cook anything from fish to lobster to octopus. It’s all prepared in the northern coastal style and they have live folk music on the weekends. It’s on a classy 3rd-floor terrace and has flowing tablecloths, lots of decorations and a festive mood.
Classic Restaurant (52-4301; Tumbes 185; mains S11-16; 8am-5pm; ) Small, quiet and dignified, Classic Restaurant is a wonderful place to escape torrid Tumbes and relax with a long lunch, as many of the town’s better-connected locals do. The food is good and mainly coastal, but secretly we love this place for its air-con.
Budabar (50-4216; Grau 309; meals S11-18; 8am-2am) Occupying a huge cavernous space and with streetside tables, this place has a full bar and serves typical Peruvian fare, including the usual chicken, fish and beef suspects. As you might have guessed from the name, this joint serves shots and cold beers until the wee hours.
Restaurant Latino (52-3198; Bolívar 163; mains S12-21; 7am-11pm) This popular