The Incas might have been great at building, but they never learned how to ride the waves. If they had, Mancora in Northern Peru would no doubt be home to ruins as impressive as  Machu Picchu. Instead, its Peru’s coolest party town and one of my favourite beach hangouts in the whole of South America.

Hedonistic heaven

After a year of volunteering in the Andes, this surfers’ paradise was my hedonistic heaven. The few times I went there, on route to renewing my tourist visa, I’d exchange folk dancing for clubbing and guinea pig feasts for barbecued burgers.

End of July is the best time to go if you want to see how hard the Peruvians can party. For Fiestas Patrias, Peruvian Independence Day on July 28th, Mancora goes mad. After a hard night of dancing, the ideal place for a hangover cure breakfast is Surf N Turf (next to Hostal Sol y Mar). Sitting on the beach, it combines a surf school with fantastic food.

To taste it for yourself, just follow the Pan American Highway north from Lima, and get off when you hear the music.