La Cocotera
Bordered by the warm Pacific Ocean on one side and a peaceful estuary on the other, La Cocotera is one of the best properties in El Salvador and a great place to head to if you're looking to escape the crowds so often found lining many Central American beaches.
Unsurprisingly given its name, which translates as 'The Coconut Plantation', the hotel is set amongst hundreds of palm trees and was entirely built and designed by Salvadorians, giving it a wonderfully rustic feel in keeping with its surroundings. The owners pride themselves on their environmentally friendly ethos, which can be found throughout the property from the locally sourced natural building materials of the casitas, to the chemical free cleaning products and energy saving light bulbs they use.
All six rooms, whether ocean or estuary facing, are spacious and air-conditioned, and each has its own large furnished terrace.
In the middle of the property, nestled amid the trees, the open air restaurant serves delicious fresh local food, and freshly grown fruit from the hotel's grounds. The restaurant is conveniently located near the swimming pool and hammocks strewn throughout, ideal for days of lunching and lounging. The bar area near the estuary side is popular for an evening cocktail with a pool table and lounge chairs overlooking the water.
La Cocotera's envied position, straddling ocean and estuary, means that there are some great activities on offer here. The hotel has kayaks, bikes and boats available for guests use, and there is a larger boat which can be chartered at an extra cost for deep sea fishing. El Imposible National Park is also within easy reach if you'd prefer hiking, but If you're really looking to embrace the natural surroundings, another popular activity is floating down the river in a life-jacket after being taken upstream by boat.
Why We Love It
Guests can have drinks/dinner on the hotel's ""Ranchita"", a motorised thatched casita, which can travel into mangroves for moonlit suppers...
Los Almendros de San Lorenzo
Just under an hour's drive from San Salvador, Los Almendros de San Lorenzo is a boutique hotel housed in an old colonial hacienda in the heart of Suchitoto. The building has been lovingly restored by a Salvadorean architect, and the mix of local modern and antique colonial art lend an air of true authenticity to this property.
Accommodation consists of eight tastefully decorated rooms, six of which are double and two are suites. All rooms have classy yet simple décor where colonial antiques are married with modern furnishings, and are set against a lush tropical garden courtyard. However should you fancy splurging a little the suites are a small additional luxury, one with its own fountain and the other is laid out over two floors.
Beyond the gardens, the spacious swimming pool is overlooked by the hotels excellent restaurant which serves delicious cuisine with a Mediterranean flair, using fresh local ingredients. Their trendy lounge bar will undoubtedly enhance your stay, with a cocktail of course.
The hotel can arrange an impressive selection of activities for guests, from boat trips on Lake Suchitlan, climbing the country's highest peak, kayaking and white-water rafting, to more leisurely tours of a coffee plantation and cultural evenings in the city.
Why We Love It
The massage therapist on-site is great and a treatment works a treat after a day of exploring.