When I lived in Peru many years ago, I would take my kids to the beach in summer and we would always enjoy and then go home in the evening. In those days, there were no beach resorts in Peru. Usually you would just buy a house on the beach and then on the weekends and in summer, go there to escape the cold dreary weather of Lima.
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Lima for a meeting and then to spend time with friends. Now that I live in sunny Florida, I seldom go places for the beach. However this time in Peru....that was my destination.
Paracas, Peru, has long been one of those getaway beaches for the rich and famous of Lima. Now it is the star in a chain of beaches that dot Peru's coastline from Lima south. The old haciendas and beach front homes of the wealthy have been bought up in droves and in their stead, bright new hotels have appeared to host the new middle and upper class of Lima. These hotels are also catching the eye of the vacation market from the world over.
Paracas is about three hour drive south of Lima along the Pan American Highway. The "Pan American" as we used to know it was a two lane highway used to wind up and down the sand dune mountains and with tons of trucks going both north and south. Now there is a super toll highway that goes straight as an arrow across the top of Atacama Desert.
The waters in the Bay of Paracas are calm and smooth with lots of parasailing, jet skiing and other water sports happening all day. The beaches are a bit grainy for those of us who love the sugar white beaches of the Caribbean, but here at some of the mega resorts, they have brought in lovely white sand from somewhere else in Peru.
The beaches are lovely clean spots for children to play and so safe because if there are any waves, they are small ripples in contrast to the other Pacific beaches in Peru.
My girlfriend and I stayed at Hotel Hacienda for the weekend. It is a lovely small hotel built mainly for Peruvians and those who know where to find it on the Internet. The flavor of this hotel is very local with an astounding free form pool and a delicious beachfront. There is a beachfront bar and grill that serves some really amazing cebiche, a speciality in Peru.
During the day, I toured the American branded hotels to see what is being sold abroad. Hilton has a lovely Doubletree property here with a huge kids clubs and a myriad of activities. The rooms are all suites with a small living area at the entry and a deck or patio for each. Accommodations are all very modern and quite utilitarian for a Hilton. It was a great place for families with all kinds of sports and activities available. It also had one of the whitest beaches on Paracas Bay.
The other end of the spectrum was the new Hotel Paracas, part of the Luxury Collection of hotels. This hotel was amazing and to go from the very Peruvian Hacienda Hotel to this gem of luxury was absolutely glorious. In true Luxury collection style, everyone greets you, from the car park to the doorman to the front desk staff....which by the way is not a counter you stand behind...but is a proper desk. The staff is gracious all over this hotel which boasts rooms in chalets, bungalows and villas.
The beachfront rooms are spectacular all with balconies and ample seating to rest after a hot day of sun and watersports. Nothing is left to the imagination and the modern interiors and mood lighting amplify the beauty of this resort.
The are several bars and restaurants but the bar and restaurant on the waterfront is my favorite with a wonderful roaring fireplace as the cool winds from the Andes can cause a chill in the evening.
If beach sport bores you...each hotel has its own spa replete with treatments befitting an Incan ruler. Paracas Bay lies on the edge of the Nazca Reserve, home to the famed Nazca Lines. All the hotels have tour agencies that can arrange anything from a private fishing charter to a fly-over of these famed lines said to have been created from visitors from other planets. There is even a local belief that if you watch the clear night sky, you can see these space ships from time to time coming and going above the desert dunes.
From Paracas you can also visit the nearby Ballestas Islands, home of Humboldt Penguins, birds of all kinds and of course the wonderful sea lions. From the islands you also get a view of the famed "Candalabra" the mysterious geoglyph that stands watch over the Peruvian coastline. Was this another visit by the beings from outer space? You be the judge!
So, after a marvelous weekend with my friends and drinking entirely too much Pisco, also a Peruvian speciality...and remembering good times...I head back to my own beach in Florida. But my best new getaway beach is Paracas Bay....now truly meeting world standards.
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