Hotel Isla Verde

The hillside setting is lovely, with plenty of room to take in the views. There are places to get food along the water within a 5 minute walk, or you can trek up to the village. It may look remote, but it isn't. I would happily come back and wish I could have stayed longer. My room had some enormous spiders, the biggest I've ever seen. I'm not squeamish, and ChatGPT said they were harmless, so it became a funny story to tell friends. Some people may want to know about that in advance. The rooms are built into the hillside, so it feels like being in the jungle, yet you're only a minute from the water. The food was good and convenient, especially the incredible soup. Wifi in the room wasn't working when I arrived, but by the next day it was good enough for video calls anywhere on the property. There are also lots of spots to enjoy the view, including the hot tub and sauna.

The quinoa bowl and BLT were both delicious. We stopped for lunch today and loved the peaceful, quiet setting, the great view, and the excellent service. We'll definitely come back.

We came back to Café Isla Verde two mornings in a row after walking along the lake from our hostel. We weren't staying at the hotel, but the cafe was such a calm, leafy place, with even a plant that attracts humming birds. Audrey greeted and served us wonderfully. One morning I had the Guatemalan breakfast and the peace and love smoothie, and the next I tried the breakfast burrito. I thoroughly enjoyed both visits. I'd highly recommend breakfast here, especially if you're staying in Santa Cruz.

This is just a review of the restaurant. We ate breakfast here twice while staying nearby, and both meals were fantastic. The view is incredible, the service was great, and my favorite was the breakfast burrito.