After surfing and relaxing on the beach, partying might be the next best reason people visit Mancora. When the season is right and Mancora is busy, there actually is quite a lot going on. There are various options to start the night with drinks (our favorite was the lighthouse), but most likely you will end up partying at Loki Mancora or at the Point Hostel Mancora afterward. This post covers what you need to know about the Mancora nightlife, including, where to party, safety and other practical matters.
Nightlife Mancora Peru
Sunset drinks – happy hour, beach or lighthouse
There are many places in Mancora to start your party night. Firstly, you can drink cocktails on the beach in multiple bars. The fanciest and nicest ones are on the left of the surf schools around La Wawa. Fortunately, some of these restaurants have happy hours during sunset. You could also buy your drinks yourself and sit down at the beach or to climb the hill to the lighthouse to watch the sunset there. Furthermore, you could head to the main street, where you find multiple bars with good happy hours.
Loki Mancora – crazy (themed) parties
The main location to party in Mancora is Loki in the center of town where they have a big bar, a huge dance floor, they play games and organize themed nights. We love how they supply some fabrics so the not dressed up visitors can still get into the theme (like us on the doctors and nurses party).
The bar personnel, which is composed of volunteers from all over the world, works all night long to give you the best time including some sort of fire shots show at different points during the evening. Check out their facebook page to see the extent of partying going on.
You need to register as a visitor
Loki has a policy that EVERYONE who enters needs to be registered with their passport (a photo of your passport is also fine). Fortunately, people that do not stay at Loki can still enter but you need to get a ‘visitor’ bracelet. This bracelet is valid untill it literaly falls off, such that you can use for multiple days. It takes quite a while to get registered though, so you can easily be in line for an hour if you are unlucky…
Therefore, the golden tip is to register before the party starts: you can get your bracelet during the day or in the early evening as well. When you then want to party at Loki later that night you can simply walk past the line of 50 people and enter right away.
TIP: Bring a photo of your passport for registration and get your Loki visitor bracelet during the day and skip the lines.
Paying and sleeping at Loki Mancora
In case you stay at Loki, the drinks you order are simply put on a bill that you pay at the end of your stay at Loki. When you are a visitor, you pay immediately. I guess that paying directly is the safer option anyway to control your spendings.
Drinking on your bill, being right where the party happens, and sleeping in central town are of course advantages of staying at Loki. You are also right next to the surf schools and close to the beach. However, there is a party at Loki EVERY day with loud music and the rooms are right at the pool. So if you do not only come to Mancora to party, for instance, because you want to (learn to) surf in Mancora, Loki might be a little intense.
The Point Beach Hostel Mancora – Laid-back
Another place to enjoy the nightlife in Mancora The Point hostel. At the moment we visited they were at another location, namely around Playa del Amor where you find a hub of backpacker hostels. Since 2019 though, they moved to a new location closer to town and it looks really amazing with a pool right at the beach. We are just sad that the slackline over the pool is gone which became increasingly fun when people became increasingly drunk.
We speak from our experience at the original point hostel that the evenings at the Point Hostel are a little more a laid-back kind of party. You will also mostly find the people staying at the hostel. People from outside are welcome though (need to show identification when entering) and at times there are big events. The Point has table tennis, a pool table and a bar overlooking the beach, which is quite cool.
Get to the Point Hostel Mancora
With the new location, the Point hostel is closer to central town, yet still a 5 min tuk tuk drive away. It is also walkable (10 minutes) but as the dusty side roads of Mancora are not the safest place to be at night. There is very limited street lights, so walk in big groups or we would recommend the 3/5 soles transport.
Paying and sleeping at the Point
With respect to paying, the same applies as for Loki. People that stay at the Point get a wristlet and they can order their food and drinks using those. When you are only visiting, you need to show identification (but this is not as big as a problem as at Loki, because of fewer queues). Lastly, as a visitor pay immediately when you order.
The idea with the wristlets if of course that you never have to leave the hostel, which was enforced with the old location that was out of town. The new location is closer to Mancora town though with the nice restaurants and very close to one of our favorite beaches in Mancora: the one around Buena Vista. Want to read more? Click below.
Relax at the most beautiful beaches in Mancora, Peru
Choose your perfect beach in Mancora
The Mancora beach bars – Better not
This is where the party continues the very longest, yet it is also the most dangerous. The music is super loud as if the five bars are trying to compete with each other to be heard. Actually, only the locals seemed to go there. When staying in Mancora for 2 weeks we had the chance to really get to know the Inca Warriors group (surf school on the main beach). They warned us not to go to these bars at night unless you are with a local. The beach of Mancora, the told us, is very dangerous at night.
Mancora Nightlife Practical
Safety in Mancora at night
Is Mancora safe at night? Well, it really depends on where you are of course. When you stay at the main road you will be fine, but the dusty roads a little further out of town are known to be quite dangerous at night. The reason is simply that these roads are very quiet and that there are hardly any streetlights. It’s better to walk in groups or to use tuk-tuks. Furthermore, we preferred to use the tuk-tuks that are “part of the hostel” you just visited, as they have a reason to stay clear of unwanted activities like being robbed. Lastly, it is better to stay away from the beach at night.
Dress codes
There are no dress codes in Mancora, so you are free to choose what you like to wear. Important to remember is that Mancora is at the coast, yet in the desert (strange combination) so it does get a bit chilly at night. The parties are outside though, so smart to bring something warm.
Cost of partying in Mancora
The prices in Mancora are very comparable to the prices in the rest of Peru. You pay around 15 soles for a big beer and 25 soles for a basic cocktail in a bar. Fortunately, there are quite some happy hours deals to be found in the Bars in the main street and at the beach. Mostly 2 for 1, so use them wisely. Buying your own beers and pre-drinking at home/at the beach/at the lighthouse is always the cheapest option though!
Conclusion
Mancora is one of the only surf towns in Peru that allows for a good night out as well. There are many places to watch the sunset with drinks, many bars in Mancora to have cocktails (during happy hour, yay!), and even some places to dance till the late hours. Some precaution is needed with respect to safety: prevent the beach and little streets when you are alone. That having said, cheers to the a good night out in Mancora, Peru.
Ps. are visiting Lima next and want to go for drinks in the Peruvian Capital too? We wrote a nightlife itinary for Lima as well 🙂 Click on the link, or below!
Nightlife in Lima Peru
Where to party at which night. This is the Lima Party Itinerary!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Thank you ever so much for a very detailed and well written documentary from your Perustay. I was going there for 5 weeks this winter, but you have inspired me to extend my vacation to inlcude two full months. Thank you ever so much, The Salkantay treak was great read (will do it without a tour myself) the boattrip and ofcourse your tip regarding MP
Hey Hans, thank you so much for this incredibly kind message: it truly was the highlight of my week. Reactions like this were the reason I once started writing about my experience in Peru and I cannot express how grateful I feel that you take the effort to write to us 🙂 Will you do a boat trip yourself? I hope you have a lovely time in Peru!