La Tortuga Verde; El Salvador

This is probably my sixth or seventh visit, and I still don't get tired of coming back. I've traveled all over the world, and this is one of the best beaches I've been to. It's a wonderful place.

A relaxed, fun beach hotel with a good restaurant and bar, right on the shore. The sunsets and sunrises are epic, and there are local pelicans around. Just be ready to carry or drag your bag across plenty of sand from reception to your room.

The beach is the highlight: it's huge, with a spectacular view and shaded hammocks and comfortable chairs. The staff were always helpful and smiling, and the food was good quality with generous servings. We thought it was fair value. The property was much larger than we'd expected, with dining huts on the beachfront seating around 150-200 people. Weekends get full and noisy, while weekdays are quiet and relaxing. The rooms look pretty ugly outside and don't seem well designed or built, but inside they were clean and comfortable, fine for a peaceful night's sleep.

The location is about 4km from town, which is perfect if you just want a day or two to relax. The rooms are extremely basic, but good for the price. Breakfast was great, especially the scrambled eggs. I had the whole fish one night and stuffed lobster the next, and both were 9/10. Happy hour was great too, though ask for double shots. They also have rescue pelicans :)