The owner Raul with his stories and his desire for conservation gives you a new perspective. The cabins are very comfortable, perfect for relaxing, hot water, very comfortable beds, hammocks. And the most amazing is their ocean view for a rich and delicious breakfast (chocolate is the best I’ve had in my life) …. If you go through Puerto Lopez is the best place to relax after a long journey.
-Lina M
Colombia
– Rodrigo Calcagni
Santiago, Chile
We really enjoyed it and stayed longer. It is such a chilling place with really good breakfast, the best view, and a friendly owner! Also the surfing, rainforest, Isla de Plata and bike tours were well organized and a lot of fun. - Nora, Weißenborn, Germany
– Rotifero
Marbella, Spain
We have stayed in eight hostals/hotels in Ecuador and this is, by far, the most memorable one. The staff, especially the owner, assisted us in many ways, including, but not limited to: arranging taxi drivers to come to pick us up, walking us to the taxi with an umbrella during a rain shower, arranging a tour with a guide and connecting us with a fellow traveler. Have I said enough yet? The room was simple, neat, clean with a comfortable bed. The room had an attached bathroom with hot water. The breakfast was the best one we ate at in our Ecuadorian stay. The grounds were elaborate and colorful with both flowers and plants We had a special appreciation of the owners’ interest and financial support of an indigenous farming site in Ecuador and wished that we had time to visit it – maybe you can…
– Bob
New York, USA
I loved the place because its very simple, natural, full of trees and plants, the price is low and the breakfast that was included was really tasty… The owners were very nice and helpful and they make also bike rentals and bike trips, and surfing lessons for a fair price… We really enjoyed our time in Puerto Lopez!
-Mary J
Cartagena, Colombia
We stayed at Hosteria Itapoa for two nights, it’s located right on the beach, less than a 5 min walk to nearby restaurants and the center of town. The hostel has a number of en suite cabins that were comfortable and clean. Breakfast was served overlooking the sea and included croissants with chocolate from the owner’s cocoa plantation. The hostel itself feels very safe and the owners are extremely helpful, they arranged a boat trip to nearby Isla de la Plata which ran very smoothly. I would definitely return.
– Conkerpow
Waterford, Ireland
The true feeling of Ecuador… Highly recommend!! Yo quiero Puerto López!
– Rashida
Englewood, USA
Lovely rooms, good showers. Very helpful staff. From there we organized an excellent jungle trip, as the owner, botanist Raul Nieto also has a very basic lodge deep in the lowland rainforest which you can get to from about 3 hours from Quito. Inexpensive program, off-the-beaten-track and free of tourism, we went on a 3 hour bumpy truck ride followed by a 6 hour trek where you set up camp. Did all sorts of stuff – swam in waterfalls, saw loads of amazing birds and butterflies (it’s one of the ten most bio diverse regions in the world), got wee-ed on by a group of brown-headed spider monkeys (!)… You can see pumas and jaguars if you’re lucky…we only saw their footprints. Be prepared for lots of mud and being kept awake a night by all the sounds of the jungle including the howler monkeys! The last day of the trip we went back to Raul’s lodge in Puerto Quito and learned how to make chocolate from cacao seeds (that come from a small community in the rainforest) and palm-nut rings. LOTS of fun and worthwhile too – the money goes to help fund research and conservation work in the area. Raul is a great guy – passionate in his fight to stop the destruction of the rainforest and extremely knowledgeable: he can tell you everything about the jungle, its past, present and future. It’s completely no-frills, food is basic (but fine. lots of chocolate and fresh coffee!) and bring yourself a pack of cards for the evenings…but if you want an authentic jungle adventure and want to see and learn loads, get in touch with Raul at raul@itapoareserve.com. It’s 4hrs from Quito, 3 hrs from Esmeraldas.You need to give him about a weeks notice so he can plan the trip (to prepare the horses etc).
– Isabella
Quito, Ecuador
