La Cocotera Resort & Ecolodge — Hotel in Departamento de Ahuachapán

As this property has had so few reviews, I'm going to go long. ||||I was delighted and surprised on the upside, mostly. The extent and quality of the furnishings and amenities is very high for such a remote and small hotel. Someone has invested seriously in the property and almost everything is of good quality, sturdy and well maintained. There were no scuffs or dents in the furniture, the pillows and bedding were high quality, everything in the room worked perfectly including wifi, hot water and air-conditioning. I cannot say that about every tropical retreat. ||||Basic orientation: The website does not give much detail so I'll paint the picture. ||||Arrival: I had a private car take me from San Salvador (about two hours, a pleasant drive). You get down to the coast and pass a few villages and then it's the end of the road. They came to pick me up on a truck for the final stretch on the beach (on departure I had to walk it). ||||Property: extends from the beachfront all the way back to the estuary. That's probably a quarter mile. There are three bungalows toward the beach (each with an upstairs room and a downstairs room) and nicely spaced out from each other. Each has direct view and access to the beach and the ocean. There is one similar bungalow back toward the estuary. There are two pools (one central one next to the restaurant) and a smaller one in front of the beach. There are sturdy solid wood sun loungers, chairs, quality umbrellas and hammocks. Many comfortable places to lounge and relax, in addition to your own porch. There is more public space than you would expect for eight rooms. ||||Beach: is broad and made of soft, cocoa brown sand. It is a stunning setting at certain times of day, with the unusual colors of a "black sand beach" in the morning and fabulous sunsets at the end of the day. The ocean is beautiful but quite rough most of the time with some pretty big Pacific waves. I was discouraged from surfing or swimming. One day I saw some local boys out on their boards but they were having a tough time. The beach was very quiet with few people ever in sight other than the regularly passing truck or buggy (the beach is also the main road at this point on the coast). The sunsets from thew property are epic. ||||Estuary: is a wide and peaceful, slow moving body of water. The resort offers kayaks and paddle boards. You can go up the river miles and explore the mangrove swamps - as far as you want. There are a few launches that ferry people across the river but otherwise there is little movement on the water. There is also a giant birdcage on the property with scarlet macaws inside and it is great fun to watch them. ||||Cuisine: Diego, the chef, works hard to prepare interesting menus with elevated cuisine. He and his team provide three meals a day with three options for the main course. They have a planned formula for the meals, however, and it struck me that they were unable to be more flexible given that I was the only guest. If it were my place I would drop the three options and speak with the sole guest about what they wanted to eat and marry it to whatever was available. They did not quite understand this. ||||Diego is not just the chef, but also the only English speaker and singular point of contact for anything at the resort. If there is anything you need or want you need to go to Diego because no one will come to you and ask if you need anything. One day there was a water bottle left in the room (for brushing teeth etc.) and the next day there was not. You need to ask. It is a low intervention hotel. There is no other management on site. And no one asked any feedback. ||||The resort itself is spotlessly clean but there was a fair amount of plastic debris on the beach and, unpardonably, on the hotel property on the estuary side. In the area where you set off on a kayak or paddleboard, there is black sandy mud with a LOT of garbage. Water bottles, used containers of all types, a random flip flop, etc. You're standing in the middle of all this detritus as you launch off. It is not hotel generated and just washes up from the river (environmental consciousness of the local people is not strong) but it's rather off-putting. One of my top suggestions to management would be to pay more attention to this. ||||There is very little to do here apart from beach walking, kayaking/paddle boarding on the estuary, lazing around in a hammock, watching the sunset and eating and sleeping and reading. For me it was a nice place to unwind and detach. They suggest on the Facebook page that there is yoga but no, there is not (I think those photos were staged - I never got an answer about when yoga might be available). They have massage rooms near the beach but the massage I had was one of the worst ever and very expensive for El Salvador. So, they could work on the ancillary services to make it a more...

Where to begin. We were recommended this resort by a co-worker here in the states who grew up in El Salvador. You know its a good sign when the Immigration and Naturalization officer notices your "Destination of Travel" is La Cocotera and tells you "You will not be disappointed".||||From arrival to departure we were graciously waited on. The staff worked hard to accommodate every desire. My Spanish to English translation is a work in progress but, everyone was agreeable to use translation apps for perfect communication. Diego and his staff genuinely wanted to appreciate us as guests while also allowing us to appreciate their culture and country.||||The grounds were impeccable. The owner and staff have gone to great lengths to present a "Bali" style resort. The head gardener works diligently to perfect the flowers, plants, and trees on the resort. ||||Rooms, ours was #5, were steps from the Pacific beach. The high bamboo ceilings, white washed walls, pebble showers, and windows galore made a perfect setting to wake up to a view of the ocean.||||Both pools were fantastic. Although, we mainly spent time at the beach front infinity pool for the beautiful views and constant cooling breeze. The pool side bar was perfect, timely, and served refreshing fresh fruit all day.||||The beach is about 200 feet of soft coffee colored sand. The staff is more than happy to set up a beach chair and umbrella if you like. Please take the short 1 mile walk down the beach to the end for great sunsets and sea shell hunting. We never felt unsafe exploring on our own. ||||The food was our favorite experience. They employ an El Salvadorian born Michelin 3* chef on site. He provided us with Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. All 3 meals served with attention to presentation, quality, and most importantly local flavors and foods. Additionally, all meals could be served on our rooms patio, pool side, traditional dining area, or even beach side with a fire.||||Please take advantage of the mangrove sightseeing boat ride, massage, and multitude of "off-site" tours. Our favorite was Santa Anna Volcano and a tour of a coffee plantation.||||One thing I will tell you is the ride from the airport is about 2.5 hours. Please do not let that deter you. Our driver educated us on his country and even stopped to share Papussas (El Salvador's national dish) with us from a roadside stand on the way to the resort. Also, note you can ask to take the scenic "beach road" if you prefer that to the expressway. ||||Having stayed at both small and large scale resorts in Mexico and most of Central America, La Cocotera was uniquely different and delightful. We will most definitely be...

Perhaps the best ES has to offer. Staff absolutely amazing.|Your amazing experience starts from arrival to the parking lot to the quaint boat ride into the resort.|Greeted by the kindest folks with cold refreshing coconuts in hand. The property grounds were impeccable. |We stayed at their beach front bungalow the room was gorgeous, down to the shampoo, conditioner and lotion. Towels and robes were soft and plushy.| every morning came with an amazing view and fresh brewed coffee waiting for us in our deck.|Breakfast was always amazing, always 2-3 choices done extremely well and served by well trained staff.|Same for lunch and Dinner. The food never dissappointed, from Salvadorian fare to international favorites.|Pool area by the bar was our favorite, the drinks were top notch, no cheap booze here only the best fresh ingredients with top shelf liquor.|The beach seems endless, the sunsets divine... the 3km beach walk to the Bocana is a daily must... try it after breakfast and definitely for sunset.|The eco tours to the bayou are worth it...20 minutes by boat up the bayou and you'll be getting an eyeful of a crocs resting.|If you are in El Salvador, you cannot afford not...