Nites
It was a toss-up between staying in Barranco or Miraflores but given that they butt up against each other, it really becomes a question of what hotel strikes your fancy.
The Casa Republica Barranco (https://casarepublica.com/) isa stunner and I would happily return there tomorrow. The rooms are spacious, with gloriously high ceilings, and the bathrooms are ginormous and splendid. The breakfast was an outstanding treat and start to the day, with local foods along with international standards, and the coffee machine available 24/7 was a welcomed surprise. And the staff were just perfect: always available to help and even when I was certain that I had the dumbest question, they were happy to assist.
If the Casa Republica isn’t available, try Hotel B (https://hotelb.pe/), right next door. It was always busy and the outside seating on the street made me want to stop for a drink every time I walked past it.
Bites
Sadly, there weren’t many vegetarian options in the city. We found one, and it was okay, but nothing worth returning to, and the other looked impressive until we arrived, only to learn that half of the menu wasn’t available, and half of the cocktails weren’t available, so we got up to leave.
Sites
Peru Hop (https://bushop.com/peru/) is a keeper and anyone traveling to Peru must have this on their list of resources.
Peru Hop does overnight tours and longer distance tours, catering to a variety of clientel. I did an overnight tour (called a two-day tour) to Paracas that was outstanding! And our guide, Juancho, was sheer perfection! The tour began rather early in the morning, with stops at a restored casa and slave tunnels, and Pisco vineyard tour and tasting experience, before arriving in Paracas in the afternoon. You’re free for the remainder of the day, and Peru Hop offers options at some local hotels and hostels. Or, if like me, you can choose to go a few miles afield to the five-star The Legend, Paracas, a destination by Hyatt (https://www.hyatt.com/destination-by-hyatt/en-US/piodh-the-legend-paracas-resort?src=corp_lclb_google_seo_piodh&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=lmr) with a large pool, beach access, an outstanding restaurant, and movies on the beach at night (with popcorn!).
Day two starts around 7am with a boat tour to Ballestas Islands Paracas, the “poor man’s Galapagos Islands”. A trip through the Paracas National Reserve is next, where desert meets ocean. You can choose to rent a buggie or a quad which makes the adventure that much better. And then it is the highlight: Dune buggy ride with sandboarding across the sand dunes of Huacachina with professional drivers. Neither activity is for the faint of heart, and I honestly wasn’t a fan of the dune buggies but I did it. But the sand boarding is the coolest thing ever! And then it’s back to Lima for a long four hour bus ride.
