Capricho Beach House

If you want to experience the Salvadoran coast but you want serenity rather than surfing and you want to go the eco-lodge route, then the Capricho is for you. The location is spectacular, sandwiched between the most extraordinary black sand beach with mesmerising Pacific rollers and the palm-fringed Zapote estuary that leads to nearby mangrove swamps inhabited by crocodiles. There are around 4 rooms, a small pool and a deck-chair/hammock area overseeing the beach. The Capricho’s facilities are quite basic but perfectly functional. Proprietor Lena and her husband Rene are so passionate about developing an eco-sensitive tourism in El Salvador. The Capricho runs completely on solar power. Lena was attentive and kind, she did everything she possibly could to make my stay enjoyable; I had an issue with my payment and Lena went out of her way to resolve it for me. The staff at the hotel were also gracious and helped with anything I needed. The menu at the Capricho is quite limited, and this could be an area for improvement. Beer’s the only alcohol on the menu, so best to bring your own sundowner mix to enjoy on the beachfront patio. I took an excursion to see nearby crocodiles with guide Julio Cesar, which after the crocodiles turned into an enjoyably rambling half-day hanging out with Salvadorans by the estuary. The house nextdoor is a rental property so there can be noise from there, but that was only one night. If you want creature comforts and modern conveniences, you might find the Capricho a little too eco-rustic. But if you want to get away from everything in spectacular location, and stay in an eco-lodge that is founded on an ecological and social concept of tourism for El Salvador then I’d recommend it.