Camaná

Camaná is a city in Peru's Southern Coast. La Punta is a town that has some beaches. However, at the end of March the place is completely deserted.

Get in
By bus from Arequipa it takes 3 or 4 hours, for S/10 (soles), S/12 for the other way.

Camaná is a small town so you can easily walk through town but there are also a variety of transportation options available. Trici-taxis are tricycles that have a little bench in front that easily fit two people. The cost is usually S/1 or less (about 30-35 cents) for a ride. There are also moto-taxis which are like the trici-taxis except that they are motorcycles trikes. The cost for these is usually S/2 or less. There are also taxes or collectivos (taxis that a variety of people get into that are not in the same party), prices for the taxis range from S/2-10, depending on how far you are going.

There are several things to do around Camaná. The most obvious is go to the beach. The water is beautiful but quite cold. It's a very refreshing place to be on hot summer days. There is also the "Mirador del Inca" just a little north of the town's center that looks out over the valley and the river. A path from the mirador takes visitors through an Incan cemetery that has been grave robbed so the bones are out in the sand. Of course, the plaza is a must in any Latin American city and it is no different here, especially since many restaurants are located around the plaza as is the cathedral.

A short distance from Camaná there are a number of less crowded beaches including Chira, la Caleta de Chira, la Miel, San Marino and many more. All are easily within a half hour drive.

Buy
Camaná is fortunate to have a river with delicious fresh water shrimp and the ocean for a lot of seafood. In Camaná, you must eat fish, shell fish, and shrimp. There are a number of options. Ceviche is declicious but many travellers have problems with this dish if their stomachs aren't well-acclimated. Jalea is a variety of fried fish served with lime and fries and allows you to test an assortment of seafood.

Sleep
The most popular place to go out is to the beach, but this is only an option during the summer. There are not many options for going out during the rest of the year as Camaná is a fairly small town and can't support a lot of night clubs without tourists. During the summer la d'Pamel is on the plaza and is open on Friday nights. La Miel is also near the plaza but isn't nearly as popular. The best option for a Saturday night is to go to la Punta (the beach) and there are a variety of bars and dance clubs.