Peru Campgrounds and Hotels

This article is part of our Accommodation Listing series.

Download the Google Earth KMZ of our Peru route and lodgings.

La Posada (Hostel with Camping)

Mancora
GPS: 4° 6'32.85"S  81° 3'34.04"W
Cost: S$10 per person for camping
Date we stayed: August 23, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: A small camping area is the only downside to this place. It has all the amenities we've come to appreciate, and it's only a short five minute walk into town and to the beach. Basic kitchen with a grill, although finding fresh meat in town can be difficult. Contrary to reviews you may read online, we found management to be most helpful and friendly, and they were very upfront about pricing.

Rancho Santana (Hostel with Camping)

http://cabalgatasperu.com/
Lambayeque
GPS: 6°25'38.51"S  79°50'13.31"W
Cost: S$5 per person for camping
Date we stayed: August 26, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes, in the kitchen
Internet: No
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: Rancho Santana offers camping in a country setting, plus a few small rooms if you'd rather spend your nights indoors. There is a grassy place to pitch your tents, a well-stocked kitchen and a very rustic outdoor shower. Lots of animals; cows, dogs, chickens, ducks, but it's the horses that make this place famous. The owner offers full or half-day horseback tours to the nearby nature reserve and ancient ruins.

Los Pinos Lodge (Hotel with Camping)

http://www.lospinoslodge.com/
Caraz
GPS: 9° 2'56.17"S  77°48'50.25"W
Cost: S$15 per person for camping plus S$5 for parking
Date we stayed: September 2, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes, in the restaurant
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Caraz is a good place to spend a night if you're coming from the north via Cañon del Pato. Los Pinos has a few grassy gardens in the back of the property where you can camp. It costs an extra 5 soles per night to park in the secured lot next to the camping area. The rooms were expensive, so look elsewhere if you aren't camping.

Llanganuco Lodge (Hotel with Camping)

http://www.llanganucolodge.com/
Llanganuco, east of Yungay
GPS: 9° 5'49.02"S  77°41'57.07"W
Cost: S$15 per person for camping
Date we stayed: September 5, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes, in the dining room when the generator is running
Internet: No
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: High up in the Cordillera Blanca, Llanganuco Lodge was a fantastic place to spend a few days. It got very cold at night, but the fire pit and absolutely amazing stars more than made up for it. The restaurant will serve meals upon reservation, don't show up expecting to be fed. Several trails, from 30 minutes to 6 days, start within a 15-minute walk of the lodge. Rooms are very expensive, owing to the remote location and the fact three meals are included. The food is also pricey, but very good.

Jo's Place (Hostel with Camping)

http://www.huaraz.com/josplace/
Huaraz
GPS: 9°31'13.43"S  77°31'40.55"W
Cost: S$15 per person for camping
Date we stayed: September 8, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes, in the office
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Only enough space for a motorcycle. There is a secure lot half a block down the street.

Notes: We stayed a night here because Kobus was sick, I camped and they got a room. The camping area is cramped, this is one of the only places you can camp in Huaraz. The kitchen is very basic, but the rooms are nice.

Hotel Inca (Hotel with Camping)

http://www.huaraz.com/hotelinca/
Chavin
GPS: 9°35'19.26"S  77°10'42.47"W
Cost: S$20 per tent (prices flexible)
Date we stayed: September 9, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot(?)
Electricity: No
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: We're not sure if camping is normally allowed here, but the lady at the front office let us pitch our tents in their nice garden for a night. The showers were claimed to be hot, but Kobus couldn't get anything but cold water. Lots of birds - a parrot, a couple of owls and tons of chickens. A nice place to spend a night, and it's right on the town square. This where the archeologists working on the Chavin de Huantar ruins stay, and their workshop is on the grounds.

Hotel Chavin (Hotel)

http://www.hotelchavin.com.pe/
Barranca
GPS: 10°45'7.46"S  77°45'36.78"W
Cost: S$180 for a triple room
Date we stayed: September 11, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: The only hotel we could find in Barranca with secured parking. Prices were rediculous, but it was probably the nicest place to stay in town, which isn't saying much. Barranca is pretty nasty, not a safe place to walk around at night. Wouldn't recommend coming here unless you have no other option.

Lomas de Lachay (Campground)

Lomas de Lachay National Reserve, about 100km north of Lima
GPS: 6°25'38.51"S  79°50'13.31"W
Cost: S$10 per person for camping/park entrance
Date we stayed: September 12, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Pit toilet only
Showers: No
Electricity: No
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: There are three separate campsites in the park, we stayed at #3 which is the farthest from the entrance (stay to the left at the fork). If you're here during the winter, it will be foggy and wet. It doesn't rain much here, but the fog is thick at night. If you're lucky it will clear up and you'll have a good view of the green hills down to the coast. A very weird place place, worth a visit if you're sick of the dry, dusty desert.

Hitchhikers Backpackers Hostel (Hostel with Camping)

http://www.hhikersperu.com/
Lima
GPS: 12° 7'21.07"S  77° 2'9.12"W
Cost: S$104 for a triple room
Date we stayed: September 13, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: By far the most popular place for overlanders to stop in Lima. Room for 3-4 cars in the parking area, which is also part of the common area. You can tent camp on the pavement, but we opted not to because space was a problem and it can be fairly loud at night. We got a room instead. Good kitchen and a grill, with a very fancy (and slightly pricey) supermarket 5 minutes up the street. Continental breakfast included.

Paracas National Reserve (Campground)

Paracas
GPS: 13°53'30.32"S  76°18'30.03"W
Cost: S$5 per person for park entrance fee
Date we stayed: September 17, 2012

Water & Bathroom: No
Showers: No
Electricity: No
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: The park and coastline are beautiful, but there's a big fat zero on the amenities list. We pitched our tents next to the ranger station as instructed, as close as possible to get out of the wind. Had there been better amenities (at least a toilet) we would have stayed another night and done a tour of the islands nearby.

La Maison Suisse (Hotel with Camping)

Nasca
GPS: 14°51'6.36"S  74°57'29.65"W
Cost: S$20 per person for camping, prices negotiable
Date we stayed: September 18, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes, may cost extra
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Nice big grassy areas for camping. They will open up a spare room for a bathroom which you can also use to charge electronics. Bargain for a lower price, we were originally quoted US$15 per person.

Hotel de Turistas (Hotel)

http://www.turismoapurimac.com/start.php
Abancay
GPS: 13°38'7.39"S  72°52'48.07"W
Cost: S$180 for a triple room
Date we stayed: September 19, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Another case of not having any options with parking in town and getting stuck overpaying for a hotel room. But this hotel was decent enough and continental breakfast was included.

Quinta Lala (Campground)

http://home.hccnet.nl/helmie.paulissen/
Cusco
GPS: 13°30'20.56"S  71°59'7.87"W
Cost: S$10 per person for camping, plus S$10 for the car and S$5 for internet
Date we stayed:

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes, for S$5 per day extra
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: The most popular (and only) place to camp near Cusco. It's a 20 minute downhill walk into town, and a grueling trek back up to Quinta Lala. We took a taxi up for S$8. The covered area has a light and power outlets. The kitchen is basic, just a stove and a sink, bring your own pots, pans and plates. It's cold at night, but the fire pit helps.

Hotel Royal Inka (Hotel with Campground)

Pisac
GPS: 13°25'17.49"S  71°50'23.85"W
Cost: S$25 per person for camping
Date we stayed: September 26, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: For a steep fee
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: No
Parking: No

Notes: Of all the places with nasty bathrooms, this one wins the award for the worst. Camping is across the street from the hotel in a large sports complex. The camping spots are very exposed, and unnecessarily fenced-in. Parking is on the street outside the camping area, but it's a quiet area of town and we were told it was safe.

Unfortunately the showers were cold, and when we brought this to the attention of management they were less than helpful. Actually, the manager was a jackass and went so far as to claim $10/night to camp was cheap and that hot showers cost extra. Would strongly recommend NOT staying here.

Genaro Moscosco La Torre (Hostel with Camping)

Santa Teresa
GPS: S13° 07.903  W72° 35.781
Cost: S$10 per tent for camping
Date we stayed: September 27, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot, cost S$5 extra
Electricity: Yes
Internet: No
Kitchen: Yes(?)
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Santa Teresa is the jumping-off point for people going the back way into Machu Picchu. As a result this place, the only campground in town, is often crowded with tour groups and people such as ourselves. The camping area was decent enough, but the bugs were very bad! There may have been a kitchen, we didn't investigate. You can leave your car parked here for S$5 per day while you head into Aguas Caliente and Machu Picchu.

Willcamaya Hostel

Aguas Calientes
GPS: 13° 9'15.32"S  72°31'33.24"W
Cost: S$60 for a triple room
Date we stayed: September 28, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: No, there is one downstairs though
Parking: No

Notes: Aguas Calientes is lined with hostels, we chose this one by chance after asking around for best prices. Nothing to write home about, but perfectly good for a two night stay. A bit noisy because it was on the main stretch of train tracks.

Tinajani Canyon (Free Campground)

Ayaviri
GPS: 15° 0'9.68"S  70°34'32.54"W
Cost: Free
Date we stayed: October 3, 2012

Water & Bathroom: No
Showers: No
Electricity: No
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: No amenities, but an absolutely beautiful place to spend the night for free. There's a small river crossing to get to the more secluded side of the canyon, but it was barely ankle deep when we crossed. Take the southern bypass around Ayaviri and take a right when you see the sign to Tinajani Canyon. It's very cold, at around 13,000 feet. So bring some warm clothes.

Las Cabanas (Cabins with Camping)

Chucuito
GPS: 15°53'31.27"S  69°53'27.13"W
Cost: S$120 for a cabin that could sleep seven people
Date we stayed: October 4, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Camping is possible at Las Cabanas, but we opted to stay in a cabin for our last night in Peru. A very nice area in a quite town, a much friendlier place to stay than nearby Puno. Continental breakfast is included.