Hotel Paraiso del Oso

The food was terrific, and I liked that dinner wasn’t ordered from a menu. We sat at our table in the bar beside a beautiful fireplace and enjoyed whatever the cooks had prepared. Breakfast was just as delicious. Hugo, the owner, speaks very good English and was extremely accommodating. Raul and the rest of the staff speak about as much English as I do poor Spanish, but we all muddled through. We spent four great days at Hotel Oso. The rooms are large, and ours had two double beds. They were a little stiff, so we tucked extra blankets underneath to make them more comfortable. The rooms and the whole hotel are heated by wood stoves. We visited in early March, and at 1600 meters elevation you need a fire in the morning and evening. The staff keeps the wood box full and provides kerosene-soaked chips to start the fire. I find that charming, though others might not. Getting up at 6AM buck naked to light it takes some getting used to. There’s Wifi in the lobby and dining area, but it didn’t reach our room. That worked out for us: we could browse if we wanted, but couldn’t doom scroll in the room. There’s no cell service in the area. If you’re fine going without some more conventional amenities, you’ll have a great time here.