Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [89]
There is a visitors center and cafe at the site entrance, which is on the road to Lurín. A simple map can be obtained from the ticket office, and a track leads from here into the complex. Those on foot should allow at least two hours to explore. (In summer, take water and a hat – there is no shade to speak of once you hit the trail.) Those with a vehicle can drive from site to site.
Various agencies in Lima (Click here) offer guided tours (about US$38) that include round-trip transport and a guide. Alternatively, catch a minibus signed ‘Pachacamac’ from the sunken roadway at the corner of Andahuaylas and Grau in Central Lima (Map; S2, 45 minutes); minibuses leave every 15 minutes during daylight hours. From Miraflores, take a taxi to the intersection of Angamos and the Panamericana, also known as the Puente Primavera (Map), then take the bus signed ‘Pachacamac/Lurín’ (S1 to S2, 30 minutes). For both services, tell the driver to let you off near the ruinas (ruins) or you’ll end up at Pachacamac village, about 1km beyond the entrance. To get back to Lima, flag down any bus outside the gate but expect to stand. You can also hire a taxi per hour (from S20) from Lima.
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LURÍN
01
At the southern edge of Lurín, a working-class enclave that lies 50km south of Central Lima on the Panamericana, are the studios belonging to the crafts collective Ichimay Wari (430-3674; www.ichimaywari.com; Jr Jorge Chávez, Manzana 22, Lote A; 8am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri). The group consists of more than a dozen artisans from Ayacucho (Click here) who produce traditional retablos, pottery, Andean-style Christmas decorations and the colorful clay trees known as arbolitos de la vida (trees of life). The central shop is small, but the pieces are well crafted and the prices are a bargain. The best bet, however, is to make an appointment 24 hours in advance to tour individual studios and meet the artisans.
To get here by car, take the Antigua Panamericana (old Pan-American Hwy) south to Km 39 and then turn inland to the Barrio Artesano (the turn-off is marked with a sign). By bus, from the Puente Primavera (Map) take any bus headed to Lurín, San Bartolo or San Miguel. Get off at the main stoplight in Lurín. From there, hail a mototaxi (motorcycle taxi) and ask them to take you south to the Barrio Artesano. The cost will be S1 to S2. A taxi from Lima will cost S30 to S50.
Parts of Lurín can get rough; take taxis and keep cameras stowed.
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SOUTHERN BEACHES
01
Every summer, limeños make a beeline for the beaches clustered along the Panamericana to the south. The exodus peaks on weekends, when, occasionally, the road is so congested that it becomes temporarily one way. The principal beach towns include El Silencio, Señoritas, Caballeros, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo, Santa María, Naplo and Pucusana. Don’t expect tropical resorts; this stretch of barren, coastal desert is lapped by cold water and strong currents. Inquire locally before swimming as drownings occur annually.
Popular with families is San Bartolo, which is cluttered with hostels at budget to midrange rates during the busy summer. Sitting above the bay is Hostal 110 (430-7559; www.hostal110.com; Malecón San Martín Nte 110; d S130-180, additional person S30; ), which has 14 simple, yet very spacious, tiled rooms and apartments – some of which sleep up to six – staggered over a swimming pool on the cliffside. On the far southern edge of town (take a mototaxi), facing the soccer field, the recommended Restaurant Rocío (430-8184; www.restaurant-rocio.com; Urb Villa Mercedes, Mz A, Lte 5-6; mains S15-35; 11am-11pm) serves fresh fish grilled, fried and bathed in garlic.
Further south, Punta Hermosa, with its relentless waves, is the surfer spot. The town has plenty of accommodations. A good choice is the compact Punta Hermosa Surf Inn (230-7732; www.puntahermosasurfinn.com; Bolognesi 407, cnr Pacasmayo; dm/s/d