Mollendo

Mollendo is a cheerful, Spanish-influenced port town with colorful, colonial architecture and 35 km (21 mi) of clean, sandy beach. The brightly painted colonial homes and groomed plazas appear as if they were plucked from the Costa del Sol in Spain. A great place to view these homes is around Plaza Bolognesi and Plaza Grau. Castle Forga, a bright yellow colonial-style castle, perches over a cliff above the sea. While Castle Forga is vacant and not technically a museum, visitors are allowed to look around, though the hours are inconsistent. Mollendo is the most attractive beach community in the Southern coast. The water is still not desirable for a swim but the waves are fairly subdued. A strong recycling program keeps the beaches clean. You'll also find many of the freshest cebicherías in the south.