A night out with Juan Seminario, owner of Sirena Café Bar, chef at La Sirena d’ Juan, and surfer.
“You’re more likely to see bikini tops and flip-flops out at night in Mancora than high heels. On the main drag, at Atelier Vino Bar (Ave. Piura 360; 984-088-339), the décor is repurposed from things found in the trash — but with good taste — and there’s live music and Champagne-based mojitos. A ten-minute moto-taxi ride from town gets you to Las Pocitas beach, where this new place, El Tablón Grill (Ave. Piura 324; 942-607-558), has the best pisco sours around. On Saturday nights, at a rowdy wooden shack called Gilar Bar (110 Malecón Principal; 969-291-122, kite surfers roll in barefoot right out of the water and dance to DJs who blast electronic music till 3 a.m. Look for the converted moto-taxi that’s the roving offshoot of the restaurant Pizza Nikitos (Paseo Paita 148; 968-696-079); you can add toppings like chorizo.”
Where he’d crash: “The new KiChic (from $200; kichic.com) is a wellness-oriented hotel on prime Las Pocitas beachfront with yoga and meditation sessions. Some of the rooms have private plunge pools.”