The coastal Salvadorian town of El Tunco doesn’t have a whole lot when it comes to budget accommodations. There are just a handful of hostels there, so it wasn’t hard to narrow down my options and pick a place to stay. I ultimately picked Tunco Lodge because I’d heard it was quieter than the other major hostel in El Tunco. As a girl who prizes her sleep, this was a winning factor for me.

The Good

→ Tunco Lodge is laid out almost like a resort property. Instead of having all the rooms stacked within one building, they are spread out in several different buildings. I think this really helped with noise control and the look of the hostel.

→ The rooms are pretty decent. I was in a 5-bed mixed dorm with air conditioning. I liked that the majority of the beds were single twin-size, rather than bunk beds. There were also lockers in the rooms that were big enough for my carry-on sized backpack.

→There are so many great amenities at Tunco Lodge. They have a small restaurant, a pool table, a pingpong table, a full kitchen, and a swimming pool.

The Bad

→ We stayed in the building at the very back of the property. While there is supposed to be wifi in this area, it was never working while we were there. We had to stop by the pool area if we wanted to use the internet. It wasn’t a huge deal though, because the area had comfy hammocks and the Olympics were always on the tv.

→ There were A LOT of stray cats and dogs (and one tortoise?) that roamed the property. For the most part they were fairly skiddish, but there was one puppy who got a burst of excited energy when he saw me. He barked at me and scratched at my legs. When he started to try and nibble at my feet, I had to shoo him away. I did not feel like getting rabies that day.

→ There is a property adjacent to Tunco Lodge that plays loud music into the night. However, I was usually tired enough that I could still fall asleep.

→ There were plenty of bathrooms around the property, but they were all in different conditions. One was unbearably hot and stuffy during the day. One was teeny tiny and filled with mosquitoes. And the one closest to our room didn’t even have a seat on the toilet.

The Best Part

→ The pool was a life-saver at Tunco Lodge. Those afternoons in El Tunco would creep up around 100°F and this little Michigan girl could NOT even. I spent so much time in this pool, just keeping my body temperature at a livable level. The pool, by far, was the best part about Tunco Lodge.

Overall

If I were going to visit El Tunco again, I would certainly stay at Tunco Lodge again. The quieter atmosphere combined with the relaxing vibe down by the pool was definitely worth any negative things I may have experienced.

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