Restaurants & Hotels

Restaurants & Hotels

Casual dress is the order of the day. Reservations are seldom necessary. If you're on a budget, look for the excellent value set menus during lunchtime, where a three-course meal can be as little as S/3. Throughout the south seafood is king, and your chef might blend local farm goods and the catch of the day with international seasonings. In Ica, try tejas, candies made of manjar blanco, a sweet, puddinglike milk spread. A treat available only during harvest festivals is cachina, a partially fermented wine.

Accommodations in southern Peru range from luxury resorts to spartan hostals that run less than S/10 per night. Hotels rated $$$$ usually have more than standard amenities, which might include such on-site extras as a spa, sports facilities, and business and travel services, and such room amenities as minibars, safes, faxes, or data ports. Hotels rated $$$ and $$ might have only some of the extras. Accommodations rated -$ are basic and may have shared baths or be outside the central tourist area. If you're arriving without a reservation, most towns have accommodations around the Plaza de Armas or transport stations.