Asia

This is Peru’s version of the Hamptons. During the summer months, from about the end of December to March, much of middle- and upper-class Lima flees the capital on weekends to a stretch of beach communities that is anchored in Asia (pronounced ah-see-ah). Here, at the Boulevard de Asia, a temporary satellite city is set up, complete with a go-kart track and concert venues. Many of Peru’s familiar chains—such as Pardo’s, Wong, Ripley, and Illaria—populate a lively commercial zone that mostly shutters when the summer ends. Most visitors here stay in private residential developments that flank the boulevard for about 20 to 30 km (12 to 20 miles) in either direction. In most cases, if you don’t know someone in these communities, your only option is the public beaches. Traditionally, this area has been targeted primarily at residents of Lima and hasn’t seen many tourists, but that’s starting to change. A few hotels have sprung up, including lively properties near the boulevard, and resort-style places farther away. You’ll find better beaches elsewhere in Peru, but if hanging with the country’s elite is what you’re after, then this is the place.