Mollendo is a town on the Pacific Ocean in southern Perú. It is located in the Arequipa Region and is the capital of both the Islay Province and the Mollendo District. Mollendo was the main port on the Peruvian southern coast until Matarani was developed around the mid-20th century; the port of Mollendo serves fishermen for the local economy and all the commercial shipping is done through Matarani, 12 km to the north, as the old port is in ruins.