TUMBES CITY

Altitude: Sea level.

Tumbes lies near the Equator, which is why it is the city of the eternal summer. Its beaches and its warm sea are ideal for water sports such as surfing and underwater fishing. The Punta Sal beach is considered one of the finest of the Peruvian coast for its pure white sands and a sea ideal for sports. North of the city is Puerto Pizarro, gateway to the National Mangroves Sanctuary. The mangroves have formed vast clumps of water-borne forests, which have created a unique eco-system linking the river and the sea. The mangroves are the breeding grounds for black scallops, which are served up in Tumbes most famous dish, the ” Ceviche de Conchas Negras”. South of Tumbes lies Zorritos, the town which received the name from workers involved in drilling the first oil well in the area, back in 1863. Not far from Zorritos lies Bocapan beach, where visitors can swim in Hervideros, natural hot springs with iodized salts.