10 must-see tourist attractions in Piura

Piura is one of those destinations you can return to again and again without getting bored. Beyond its famous beaches, there are other lesser-known tourist spots in Piura where you can discover the natural wonders and customs of this Peruvian region. Although summer is usually when Piura receives the most tourists, this department is fortunate to have good weather year-round. So check your calendar and start setting aside some days to explore northern Peru.

Pocitas de Máncora

When you talk to someone from Piura, the first thing that comes up in conversation is the beaches of Máncora. This destination is the favorite of practically all tourists who arrive here. Some stay on its extensive beaches, swimming, sunbathing, or surfing, but near these enormous beaches there's a different spot: the Pocitas. This unique beach gets its name from the natural pools that the sea has formed in the rocks along the shore. You can bathe in them as if you were in a natural swimming pool and relax completely while taking in the incredible landscape around you. A tip: go to the pocitas in the afternoon and enjoy their unmatched sunset while you swim in the Pacific.

How to get to Pocitas de Máncora: getting to the Pocitas is very simple. Just take a mototaxi from the city of Máncora and in less than 10 minutes you'll be there.

Sechura Desert

Did you know that Peru's largest desert is located in Piura? It's Sechura, situated in the center of Piura department and with a wide variety of natural destinations to explore. Here you'll find the famous Médano Blanco dune, known as one of the most beautiful in Peru, where you can practice sandboard, a sport that will test your adrenaline. Additionally, on the coastal side of this desert are the Manglares de Vice, the Virrillá Estuary, and the Illescas Reserved Zone, three places where diverse wildlife lives such as beautiful flamingos or the Peruvian tern, an endangered species.

How to get there: to reach this desert you'll need to take a bus from downtown Piura to the town of Sechura, where you'll find mototaxis that will take you to the different tourist attractions. You can also visit this place with our Sechura and Manglares de Vice tour, with stops at different tourist sites in the area, or venture out on the Sandboard and Buggy Sechura tour.

Humpback whale watching

Without a doubt, one of the most wonderful moments on the Peruvian coast is when humpback whales come out to make their majestic leaps through the Pacific Ocean. Each month of August, around 2000 whales arrive from Antarctica to the beaches of Punta Sal, Los Órganos, and Cabo Blanco to have their calves and begin the journey back to the southern part of the planet with them. These animals, which are 16 meters long and weigh more than 40 tons, have a very curious courtship ritual. In addition to emitting songs underwater that travel up to 300 km away, the males perform these aerial acrobatics, reaching heights of 20 meters. A wonderful spectacle!

How to see humpback whales: to appreciate the leap of humpback whales you absolutely must hire a tour with an agency, since you need to travel by boat from the coast to the area where these animals are found.

Swimming with turtles

Another of the tourist attractions in Piura is being able to swim with giant green sea turtles. This activity takes place at Caleta El Ñuro, where there's a center dedicated to researching this species, where you can learn details about this animal before taking a dip with them. It's important to keep in mind that when swimming with green sea turtles you're entering their natural habitat, so you shouldn't touch them or feed them, and it's essential that you enter the water without sunscreen, as it can affect them.

How to swim with turtles in Piura: to bathe with these animals you'll need to go to El Ñuro by taking a bus from Máncora. Once there, you'll just need to pay the entrance fee and the life jacket rental. To make the most of your trip to this place, at Nomades we offer the Beach route and swimming with turtles tour where, in addition to El Ñuro, we'll visit other beaches in the area.

Cabo Blanco Beach

Cabo Blanco Beach has a special charm quite apart from its landscapes. And it is that, according to the story, Ernest Hemingway was inspired by this place to write his well-known novel The Old Man and the Sea. So when you visit Cabo Blanco don't forget to pack this book in your backpack and read it with this scenery as your backdrop. The turquoise waters of this place also have perfect waves for surfing. And what better way to accompany a beach day than with a delicious ceviche? In Cabo Blanco you'll find various seafood restaurants with the best dishes from the Peruvian coast.

How to get to Cabo Blanco: to get to Cabo Blanco from the city of Piura, you'll need to take a bus heading to Tumbes and get off in the town of El Alto. From here you're 7 kilometers away from the beach, which you can reach by mototaxi.

Chulucanas

But not everything is nature in this northern region. Just 64 kilometers from the city of Piura is Chulucanas, a town known for being true masters of ceramic work. This art comes from the ancestral Tallán culture, who inhabited this area of Peru between the years 700 and 1500 after Christ. Here you can visit the workshops of these artisans, where they'll show you how their items are made, and you can also buy some of them to take home as a souvenir.

How to get to Chulucanas: to get to Chulucanas you'll need to take a bus from the front of Mercado Modelo in Piura. The journey takes between 45 minutes and an hour. At Nomades we offer the Chulucanas Costumbristas and La Encantada tour, which includes transportation and a guide.

Caracucho Waterfall

In Piura you can also take a dip in freshwater areas. One of these places is Caracucho Waterfall, a cascade where you can escape the stifling heat that characterizes Piura. One of the fun aspects of this place is that to reach it you have to hike for around two hours through the Piedra de Toro forest, characterized by its lush vegetation and curious rock formations shaped like animals.

How to get to Caracucho Waterfall: from Piura you'll need to take a bus that takes you to Morropón, an hour and a half from the city. Once there, you'll need to take a mototaxi to get you to the start of the trail where the hike begins.

Beach Route

Apart from Máncora, Piura has beaches that are less than an hour from the city, ideal for those who have little time to spend in this area of Peru. Instead of spending an entire day at one beach, you can take advantage of moving from one to another and visiting several. In this case, we recommend traveling to Paita and from here moving north to Colán, and south to Los Cangrejos and Caleta Yacila. These destinations are perfect for spending a day of sun and beach.

How to get to Paita: the Port of Paita is just 40 minutes from Piura by car and just over an hour if you go by bus, which you can catch at Piura's terminal. From here you can move to the other beaches by taking a mototaxi. You can also book our Beach Route tour which includes transportation and a guide.

Cerros de Amotape National Park

Photo by ronaexar72 Another of Piura's tourist attractions that shouldn't be missed is Cerros de Amotape National Park, where tropical dry forest blends with the northern Peruvian mountain range and territory shared with the Tumbes region. This combination creates a perfect habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Cerros de Amotape is one of those places where you need to keep your eyes wide open, as you'll be able to see impressive animals like the Andean condor or the spectacled bear.

How to get to Cerros de Amotape National Park: the best way to reach this national park is by private transportation, so if you're not traveling with your own car you'll need to take a taxi. The closest cities to start your trip are Máncora, Sullana, and Tumbes. At Nomades we have a spectacular tour to Cerro de Amotape National Park from Máncora that includes shared transportation and a guide.

Mud Pools

A place to relax and take advantage of nature's medicinal properties are the Mud Pools of Talara. This pool, with warm and sulfurous waters, offers countless benefits for your skin. This destination is ideal for enjoying a day with family or friends near Máncora and with a different plan from what the rest of the region offers. When you leave here you'll feel like a completely new person.

How to get to the Mud Pools: the Mud Pools of Talara are just 13 kilometers from Máncora and you can reach them by mototaxi in half an hour, or by bike in an hour.

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