The beaches south of Lima are the destination over the summer months, and although they have their year round residents, there is a huge influx of Peruvians and tourists from December through to Easter. Some go for the day, others the weekend, and for some children their entire summer holiday.

However, it’s not just the beaches that draw in the crowds, there are plenty of delicious places to eat that will grab your attention too, plus a location or two to dance away until the wee hours. There are obviously more venues than I am putting in this guide, but these are the spots that keep me coming back for more year after year. Plus, I used to live in Punta Hermosa, which means I’ve definitely had time to try a number of locations and really narrow them down to my absolute faves.

The southern beaches are actually made up of many districts, however due to the small number of places I’ve chosen, I decided to group them all together under one umbrella. As always, I’ve put together a handy Google map to help you find them all! Here is the link: https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/1K1RDNfbvI3vMlqEXTfI6iZyCIWQ

I’ve gone as far down the coast as Asia, as it is one of the main destinations for holidaymakers during the summer months. I’ve also placed the towns and locations in order as they appear on the map.

PANAMERICANA ANTIGUA

The old Panamericana, before the new road was built that avoids the beach town traffic. It is lined with restaurants, clubs, and shops, and the roads to the beach towns all start from here.

Chifa 43

Chifa 43 is not my favourite Chinese restaurant in Lima, however everything here is made fresh to order (you’ll be waiting a while for your take away!), it’s super yummy, and they offer up proper comfort food. I love their arroz chaufa con chancho (fried rice with pork), their pollo limon kay (chicken with a lemon sauce the colour of inca kola – a worryingly bright yellow) and their sopa wantan (wonton soup).

Sarita

Sarita is famous throughout the beaches for their chicharron (fried pork) sandwiches. They are really delicious, served up with fried sweet potato slices and onion, but so is their chicharron de calamar (fried calamari) if you fancy something a bit more beachy! Order a cold beer to go alongside and get stuck in.

Note: Ignore the opening times on Google maps, they definitely don’t close at midday.

El Dragon del Sur

The only club on the list! El Dragon del Sur is the only place I go if I want a night out near the beaches (RIP Moana – a great beachfront bar that is no longer with us). They offer up a huge space with 2 separate music areas. One normally has a DJ and the other often has live music. Actually, El Dragon is often also used as a live music venue (we’ve seen quite a few bands here including Easy Star All-Stars who were amazing). It’s almost completely open air, but luckily it never rains over the summer! Plus, El Gringo food truck is often outside at the end of the night for you to get your burger fix!

PUNTA HERMOSA

This was my home for a couple of years and I loved it here. It has such a special vibe and the perfect place to live if you have dogs, as there is so much open space. Plus, there are a plethora of beaches and eateries to choose from.

La Casa de Gloria

La Casa de Gloria is my absolute favourite restaurant to visit in Punta Hermosa. They have a little bit of everything, including delicious breakfasts, sandwiches, juices, main meals, and desserts. A great location all year long. I just wrote a detailed post about it, so check it out in the link below for more information.

Included in this post here and here.

Playa Caballeros & Señoritas

These two little bay beaches are delightful. Whether you visit to sunbathe in the summer, to spend time at the rocky edges looking for starfish or even to walk your dogs throughout the year, these beaches are a lovely location. Be aware of confusion between the two beaches. We were always told that the larger bay was Caballeros and the smaller was Señoritas (as it is on Google maps), but some residents want to change it back to the original names, which was the other way around. Just double check any address you may be given by asking which of the beaches they actually mean.

Panaderia Doris

This little bodega and bakery is one of Punta’s hidden secrets. They make some of the best bread in the whole of Lima, and I’m not even exaggerating. There are many different options; fruity breads, cereal breads, white baguettes and even rye bread (a favourite of mine here). Plus, they have a great selection of groceries so if you’re missing something you can normally rely on them to have it on hand!

Included in the post here.

La Curva Food Trucks

La Curva is an outdoor area (only open over the summer) that gets filled with food trucks over the weekends. You might find burgers from El Gringo or pulled pork from Smoke, plus there’s always a bar sponsored by Corona. I believe there’s also another one of these in the beach town of San Bartolo too!

La Buona Tavola

Basically, if you want a pizza when in Punta Hermosa, head straight to La Buona Tavola. Delicious pizza made to order and with a variety of toppings. I haven’t visited in a while, and they have actually moved a little way up the road from where they were to a larger space, so I’m afraid I can’t say what that place is like, but hopefully it’s still just as good as before!

Matambrito

Matambrito offers amazing pollo a la leña (chicken cooked in a wood fired oven) in a super jolly, brightly coloured restaurant. Eating in is great, but I’ve also had many a take-away from here, including getting a chicken to accompany the rest of my homemade Easter lunch when I didn’t have enough oven space to do everything!!

Included in the post here.

Playa Blanca

I really only enjoy visiting Playa Blanca out of season. It’s a gorgeous beach, but in the summer it’s far too busy for me. Playa Blanca is also a favourite for our dogs and they love charging around and running away from the tide!!

SAN BARTOLO

Heladeria UZAL

Literally, I just come here for the camu camu ice cream. I love it so much. I mean, that’s probably a bit of a lie, I do like their other flavours too, however the camu camu is the flavour that calls to me all year long. Heladeria UZAL is a cute little cafe and ice cream shop opposite the central market with both indoor and outdoor seating. They also sell cakes and other baked goods, which look super delicious, but in case you didn’t already get it, the camu camu is always the reason I’m here.

Included in this post here.

PANAMERICANA

Tambo Rural

The bread at Tambo Rural is like something from your dreams. Pillowy, doughy and soft cooked in a wood fired oven and if you want (of course you do) they have them filled with cheese, sausage and ham (either as a mix of some or cheese separately). I can’t tell you how excited I get when I can visit. I have a true love situation with this bread. The only downside is the huge queues that can form, so get there really early.

Included in this post here.

OVNI

You haven’t tried lúcuma ice cream until you’ve been to OVNI. Ignore the other stands pretending to be them with their pics of aliens and go straight here. They have a little outdoor seating area and parking and it’s a proper building, not a little wooden hut stand like the others. The ice cream is creamy and packed full of caramel-y flavoured lúcuma fruit. Scrumptious.

Included in this post here.

ASIA

Boulevard de Asia

(namely – Granja Azul)

OK, so the Boulevard de Asia is a big open air shopping and eating destination just outside the beach town of Asia. There are plenty of places to eat, shop, drink and there are also a few different clubs (be prepared for a ridiculous entry price though), but quite honestly the only reason I would come here is for Granja Azul; my favourite roasted chicken place with deliciously thick cut fluffy chips. I don’t get to visit Granja Azul very often (maybe once a year), but when I do, it always brings the goods. I’ve never had a bad meal at any of their locations.

Included in posts here, here, and here.