Punta Hermosa is a popular beach resort 42Km south of Lima. It is a popular place to visit for weekend breaks, and we asked local resident Janet for some of her top tips to get the most out of Punta Hermosa. At the time of writing, it is about a 50 soles Uber trip from Lima, depending on the time of day.
- Visit the beaches
There are some stunning beaches to visit in the area of Punta Hermosa. The most popular ones are Playa Negra and Playa Blanca. Whatever the season, you can see many people surfing off the shore of Playa Negra. Working your way northwards up the coast from here you have the more secluded beach of Playa Norte. This is a family beach mainly used by the families who live there. Next come Playa Caballeros, Playa Señoritas and Playa El Silencio. These are particular popular in the summer months when Limeños rent a beach house or apartment for the season. These beaches become especially full during the weekends with umbrellas for hire and raspadillas (crushed ice with different flavoured syrups added) for sale to keep you cool.
- Surfing and paddle boarding
These are the favourite activities that you can take part in if you come to Punta Hermosa. Whether you are a novice or a professional like Sofia Mulanovich, you will find a wave for you! To help you improve your skills and make new friends, there are several options you can find. For example, Bravo Surf Camp works with a professional surfer to train you according to your level. They will take you to the best surfing spot of the day depending on the swell in Punta Hermosa, an ideal place for an unforgettable surfing trip.
- Restaurants and bars
Over the last few years, even in spite of the pandemic, Punta Hermosa has seen the development of several restaurants and bars. Most of these are situated along the Calle Islas Ballestas. Here you will find Tiki Bar, Il Incontro (pizza), El Corte (steak), Cañete (upmarket cervicheria) and Punto Gourmet. However, there is also Trattoria Don Angelo which is very popular with Limenos who will drive south at the weekend just to have lunch there, their chocolate cake is to die for! Then if you look hard enough you can find Don Nico, a hidden steak restaurant and of course last but not least Casa de la Gloria, a very established family run restaurant which is open every day of the year except 25th December. Finally, another little hidden gem is Natural Energy where you find delicious homemade acai bowls and the best coffee in Punta Hermosa.
- The market
The indoor market near to the Municipalid buildings has a wonderful variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. Here you will also find several juice bars where you can order from a large selection of fruits, for example cherimoya and orange is recommended and if you are hungry, the ladies make a good “pan con palta”. The market also has several fish stalls displaying the catch of the day as well as butchers.
- Shops
Along Calle Islas Ballestas which a friend has nick named the “Champs Elysees” you can find anything you need from panaderias (bakeries) to clothes shops and even a computer repair shop. The most famous shop along here is Doris. Originally, a bakery in recent years they have expanded and upgraded. Now it is not only a bakery but also sells a variety of food and has seating both inside and outside for coffee and sandwiches. However, if you want to buy fresh bread during the summer months you need to get out of bed early because the queues are insane! For delicious desserts to eat in or take away, they also do delivery is La Marmita Postres.
- Hair and beauty salons
Punta Hermosa has a variety of barber shops and hairdressers to choose from. PH Barber Shop again on Calle Islas Ballestas seems popular with the gents. You can also find many hairdressers but one to be highly recommended is La Femme which you will find near Casa de La Gloria. La Femme opened its doors just after the pandemia, it offers a wide selection of hair treatments as well as manicures, pedicures, facials and laser.
- Walking
Probably one of the nicest places to walk is the Malecon Central de Punta Hermosa which stretches south from Playa Caballeros to Playa Blanca. As well as enjoying spectacular views of the ocean and beaches, the pathway is decorated with mosaic surf boards. Basically, walking anywhere is Punta Hermosa is pleasurable because there are less cars than Lima and the ones that are there are expected to travel at a slow speed.
- Places to stay
Apart from renting your own house or apartment where it is cheaper to rent for the season than the week or the month, there are quite a few small hotels and hostels to choose from. These include Hotel La Planicie de Pico Alto, Hotel Restaurante Peach Garden, Hospedaje Washiperu, Bravo Surf Camp and Waves Surf Camp to mention just a few. You can find many more if you search Booking.com and of course there is always Airbnb, for example https://www.airbnb.com/h/casa-caballeros
- Popular places to visit nearby
You can visit the ruins of Pachacamac or enjoy a Peruvian Paso Horse show with lunch in Mamacona.
- Sunsets
And finally end your day enjoying a beautiful sunset sipping your favourite cocktail!
