Hostal Los Almendros

The ocean-side lounge is lovely, with a well-kept pool to cool off in. There’s also a great first-floor terrace with hammocks and seating. The rooms at this beautiful hostal by Playa Sunzal are basic but very spacious, and the fan is good. The food they serve is amazing, but pupuserias are close by if you want a cheaper meal. You can also cook in the well-equipped kitchen.

The place is quiet, with a nice pool, comfortable beds, and a room that was fine and warm. The bathroom was okay too. But it needs maintenance, and the owners should know that. There was no customer service at all. We arrived and nobody paid attention to us during our two-night stay.

I didn’t stay at this resort, but I was in a neighboring house. The day before, a man of Argentinian descent drove a dark green sedan down the road in front of our house at what seemed like at least 50 miles per hour. We were only a couple of steps away and managed to avoid what could have been a disastrous, deadly collision. He seemed disconnected from reality as he drove by. We guessed he might have been intoxicated. On my walk back from the beach, the same man approached me violently, yelling obscenities and threatening to “come after me” if anything was missing. I was just using that route to avoid a muddy, slippery path, and had taken it before. Earlier, another gentleman who seemed to work at the hostel had welcomed us. My friends and I hadn’t had any problems before this. The man seems like a danger to people nearby who are just trying to enjoy their stay.

The pool is awesome, and the place is right by the beach. It’s a bit of a walk over rocks to reach El Tunco, so wear shoes, not flip-flops.