Accommodations and Food

Hands down the best place in town, Hotel San José (3a Calle Nte. Pte. at 2a Av. Ote. Nte., tel. 918/645-0011, US$30/35 s/d) makes you wish there was some reason to stay longer in Pijijiapán [1]. Midsize rooms have comfortable mattresses, cable TV, and air-conditioning. Rooms near the reception desk get a Wi-Fi signal, or else you can connect in the large welcoming central foyer. It’s a friendly family-run place—Mom makes tasty breakfast and other light fare in the hotel’s small café-restaurant. There’s also secure parking and easy highway access.

Hotel Esteros (Calle Central btwn. 1 and 2 Av. Nte. Pte., tel. 918/645-0264, US$22 s/d with fan, US$35 s/d with a/c) is the hotel most locals think of as the best in town, which it may well have been a decade ago. While still reasonably comfortable, the rooms are definitely showing their age.

In Riberas de la Costa Azul [2], a cluster of palapas serve fresh seafood (US$6–9) at tables overlooking the ocean, while a tidy central clearing has public bathrooms and changing areas. There are no cabañas like in Boca del Cielo [3]—one reason there are far fewer tourists here—but camping is permitted.