Cabaña El Refugio

Mr. Miguel, the manager, was very helpful. He arranged people to cook and clean, and gave us all the instructions we needed for ordering food and drinks. It's a safe neighborhood, and the spot is quiet, right by clean ocean water with a private beach stretch. Getting in and out can be hard in peak season, though. Between December 28th and January 3rd, the area gets crowded, with people and vendors along 500 meters of the beach road and cars parked across it.

There was no drinking water for guests because the manager hadn't turned it on, and he was charging 15,000 pesos for bottled water. He didn't seem to care that children were staying there. The bathrooms had weak water pressure and smelled unpleasant, and no water reached the second-floor room. We didn't realize at first that the water wasn't safe to drink, and five of us ended up with water poisoning. Locals also block the streets leading to the cabin, and people damage your car if you don't stop and give them money. There are several doing this on every block. We won't return.

It was peaceful and very pleasant, a lovely place to relax with family. Don Miguel paid attention to what tourists needed. We'll be back.

The house is old but well maintained, spacious and comfortable, right by the sea. Downstairs there are three large bedrooms with several beds and private bathrooms. The main bedroom is on a mezzanine, with a balcony overlooking the sea and its own bathroom. The big kitchen has all the essential appliances for a stay. The administrator was friendly and very helpful. I'd say it can accommodate 12 people. We had a really pleasant stay.