Down The River Hostel

We've stayed at Down the River twice now, my husband and I. The team is wonderful, and the hostel feels welcoming, both in the room we had and in the shared spaces. You get a lovely view of the Ribeira River, and several attractions are a short drive away.

We gave up on the stay and had to find somewhere else at the last minute. The place and the service were nowhere near what the listing had led us to expect. We had booked two rooms at Down The River Hostel for May 1-4, 2025: a Deluxe King Room and a Comfort Triple Room with Shower. Check-in started at 2 pm, and we arrived around 2:40. Another couple was already waiting outside, but no one was there to let us in. I called at 2:46 and got no answer. They replied on WhatsApp that the person in charge was coming back from lunch. We finally got into the hostel about 30 minutes later. The receptionist was also a tour guide and had been out on a tour with a couple. He said that if guests didn't tell him their arrival time, he assumed they would arrive after 10 pm, so he hadn't stayed at the hostel. That showed a real lack of preparation for receiving guests. The Deluxe King Room wasn't clean yet either. At the door, we were told the cleaner would have to be called in, and she also wasn't at the hostel, so we had to wait for the room to be cleaned before we could enter. The other room was listed as a Comfort Triple Room with Shower, but there was no shower inside it. We were told the shower room was outside, near reception, which wasn't made clear in the listing. After we complained about the misleading description, he offered other rooms with separate showers. In one, we found at least 10 dead insects stuck in the shower, as shown in the photo. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while and was nowhere near basic hygiene standards.

We loved exploring Iporanga and the natural spots nearby. Down the River is right by the Ribeira de Iguape River, with a wonderful view, and it's close to quilombola communities, PETAR, and some magnificent waterfalls. The hostel is really cozy, and our host Shimi was so helpful and attentive to guests' comfort. Breakfast is available if you'd like it. I'd absolutely recommend staying here and would come back for sure!

Geraldo gave us a really warm welcome, and we had a great stay. The one thing missing was a TV in the room.