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Lunahuana
By Ray Remington, Jr.
Close to Lima, but dramatically different in climate and ambiance is the little town of Lunahuana. Just a short two hour drive south on the Pan American Highway gets you to Canete. Then turn into the hills for another 46 kilometers. By the way, while in the Canete area, stop off at El Piloto and sample their famous tacu tacu. With a full and satisfied stomach you can then proceed into the hills towards Lunahuana. The trip is a pleasant one going through arid hills and then following a green valley.
The town itself is strung out along the Canete River. Actually the river is the main attraction of the town. From December through April, you can try your hand at river rafting. It is challenging, but quite suitable for beginners in this sport. Plan to get wet; that is part of the fun.
The climate is dry, warm and that fiery ball in the sky called the sun appears every day. Whoopee!
Regarding food. If you like shrimp, this place will be heaven for you. This is definitely one of the specialties and must be sampled. I never knew that there were so many different ways to prepare shrimp until I got to Lunahuana. Sorry, but I didn't come across any shrimp flavored ice cream.
There are also a number of wineries and pisco distillers in the area and, of course, you must have a taste of their goods. We did lots of field research in this subject and were quite satisfied with the results. The next day was another matter. For real wine lovers there is a festival in February where they stomp the grapes and celebrate properly.
We stayed at the Hostal Rio Alto located about a mile up the river from the town. Most comfortable and good food. The back yard of the hostal is a park that runs down to the river. There we staged a vicious game of sapo, a Peruvian game that involves tossing a coin into the mouth of a metal frog. Surprisingly the gringos showed great natural ability, trouncing the more experienced Peruvians.
Camping sites are available in the area, and I understand that there is some good hiking. Further up the road from the Hostal we found pleasant country restaurants offering the ubiquitous shrimp and trout from the river.
My advice. Slip away for that lost weekend at Lunahuana. Come on. You deserve it. Don't you?
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