Again, until conflicts in this area die down again, I do not advise staying in or around Jaqué. Tropic Star Lodge is quite separate from the area on a large stretch of private land, so presumably it will remain relatively insulated from the conflict.

However, you should contact the lodge for current conditions before visiting (it’s in their interest to make sure their guests remain safe and happy, and they have years of experience in doing so).

There are two basic hospedajes (lodgings) in Jaqué and an ultrabasic one in Puerto Piñas. Enterprising souls can probably strike a bargain to rent a room in someone’s house upon arrival. The only places to eat are rustic to say the least; this is a good place to come with one’s own food supply.

Aventuras Anamar (tel. 233—5976 or 221-7423; ask for Señor Herman Torres or Señora Praxedes Torres, US$10 s/d) in Jaqué offers the best rooms in either town. The hospedaje is a two-story building on a rather attractive stretch of beach past the east edge of town. It’s completely basic but surprisingly okay, with three rooms that look out on a porch facing the ocean and four darker ones behind them.

Room 1 is the nicest. It’s a corner room with lots of glass windows and a partial view of the ocean. Bathrooms are shared. Management here is friendly and animated and should be able to arrange food.

Food and booze are available at a handful of nondescript kiosks, fondas (fondas), and cantinas in Jaqué. Near the river is a tiny general store with an airless little bar next door.