Hotel Paracas

Paracas city has lots of anonymous, package-holiday beach hotels catering to vacationing Peruvians. This large, family-friendly oceanside resort in palm-tree shaded gardens, with two big pools, is one of the few exceptions. The main building is a striking neo-art deco pavilion in concrete and glass, set in palm-tree-dotted lawns overlooking the beach.

Big, bright contemporary bedrooms  open onto sea views or the large garden area with sizeable outdoor pool and sundeck, littered with wooden sun loungers and shady sitting areas.

The spa boasts a huge indoor pool and steam rooms, and specialises in Ayurvedic therapies, with an excellent choice of couple’s treatments. Of the four restaurants, the modern-Peruvian Ballestas comes with wonderful sunset views, while the alfresco seafood Chalana is set on a pier right over the water.

Visitors are mostly here for the tours and the hotel has an in-house tour operator offering high-end boat trips to the San Blas Islands (boats leave out front), the Paracas desert and National Reserve and the Nazca lines.