The Fishermen of Tumbes, Peru

For travelers to northern Peru interested in getting to know more about the locals, the small rural communities of El Bendito and Puerto Pizarro offer the perfect opportunity. These rustic villages are home to a variety of fishermen, crabbers and mussel harvesters who are very representative of the people who live along the coast of Tumbes. These hardworking people help conserve and protect the mangrove swamps and beaches where they work, using fishing and harvesting techniques passed down from their ancestors.

The concha negra, or black mussel, is a much desired and highly prized food in Peru. Not only does it make a delicious ceviche when marinated with spices and lemon juice, it's also considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac. This mussel is native to the mangrove swamps on the northern coast of Tumbes. It's here in the manglares where the mussel harvesters work, reaching in through the thick, swampy mud to find their coveted prize.

The crabbers of the northern coast also work among the mangrove roots. You can see them working, staring into the tangles of trees, slowly advancing so as not to warn their prey of the oncoming threat, searching for dens of crabs. With thick gloves to protect them from snapping claws, the crabbers reach into the crab dens, grabbing the crabs by their thick shells. Their work, like that of the mussel harvesters, is governed by the tides, and they must wait for the waves to recede to allow them access to the crabs.

The crabber and the mussel harvesters both work together among the mangrove swamps near El Bendito. Both pass a great deal of their day here, where they search for their quarry among the thick roots of the mangroves. The fishermen of Puerto Pizzaro, however, live a different life. Many of the fishermen live in rustic houses along the shores of the beach. Each day they go out beyond the breakers in their primitive wood boats, where they fish with handmade nets, lines and harpoons. If you're lucky enough to be on the shore as they return with their catch, you can buy fresh fish from them right there on the beach.

The best way to get to know a country is to get to know its people. The beaches along the coast of Tumbes offer a truly unique way for you to meet and become acquainted with these hardworking and friendly natives. If you're traveling on the northern coast of Peru, consider stopping at Puerto Pizarro and El Bendito and getting to know their inhabitants.