トゥズコ ロッジ(Tuzco Lodge)

I can't say enough nice things about Tuzco Lodge. I planned my vacation to visit the southern coastal cities. Playas, Salinas, then jump to Puerto Lopez and work my way down, staying only a day or two each. But once I got to Tuzco Lodge that plan went out the window. We tried other places for a day to see different cities, but eventually decided we didn't want to leave Tuzco. We just loved the place and started referring to it as home. Julio the manager and owner's son is one of the nicest people I've ever met - and his mother, father, and Marta and Karen and all the staff are the best. While it's not ocean front, it is four short blocks from the beach - you can see the ocean from the entrance down the street you walk to the beach. And its distance makes for a much quieter environment. Very little noise except for the typical dog or rooster. The lodge itself is beautifully done with a pleasantly colorful artistic style. From the texture of the walls, the various mosaics on the wall, to the various tile patterns. The rooms are very clean and comfortable. The second floor rooms have high ceilings, which I appreciated. AC, TV and wifi (at the pool and in the lodge). The lodge is split between the main lodge with rooms, and the pool, breakfast area and garden area. This split is nice allowing more space for the gardens behind the pool - that the owner takes pride in tending. We spent a large majority of our time lounging by the pool on the cabanas. The pool is surrounded by an immense variety of trees, bushes, flowers and plants. The folliage is tall enough to always provide some shaded portion of the pool and cabanas - so you can float in the pool all day without getting burned. Perfectly tranquil setting. Puerto Lopez is a bustling little town with a number of great places to eat. Pan and Vino has the best pizza I've ever had in my life. Owned by a southern Italian man that has amazing skills. Everything is made fresh, from traditional neopolitan to surf and turf. The people are extremely friendly and it feels like a very safe environment (doesn't seem to have the crime you hear about elsewhere). While it attracts tourists it doesn't feel completely tourist focused - so more natural. To sum up, Tuzco lodge was perfect for us. And after our stay here I plan on retiring in Puerto Lopez.

Whew, what a great find. This place is excellent. The booking sites say it's a 10 minute walk to the beach, but that's only if you crawl. It's very close to the beach, but far enough away to not deal with the noise and parties. The location seems a bit remote at first, and even intimidating, but it's a lovely neighborhood full of nice people, and I felt very safe walking at night. Very close to the center of town. I had the most basic room, which was clean and comfortable with good air conditioning. Breakfasts were amazing. The pool area is off the charts, and if you are traveling with kids they won't want to leave it. A co-owner on site has a master's degree and speaks fluent English, full of good advice. They take credit cars (but apparently only Visa, not Mastercard, I was told, so, heads up). If there is one thing to be aware of, if you stay in the main courtyard, there can be a good bit of noise in the morning once people start to move about at 8 a.m., is what it is. Hot water is good, but it takes a few minutes to get to the shower. No hot water in the sink, which is common on the coast. The breakfasts, served by the pool, were amazing and so filling, you won't want to eat until well after noon. Also, they have a cat you can play with :-) and it's pet friendly. I will be back. If you take the bus from the south, they announce an informal stop in the center of Puerto Lopez, before you go to the terminal terrestre outside of town, get off there, it's a short walk. But a tuktuk from or to the terminal terrestre is only a dollar.