Punta La Barca

This place is probably one of the best for whales observation. The hostal is well maintained and the owners are super welcoming. A must go to.

My husband, our six year old daughter, and I stayed at Punta La Barca for almost one month. What really sets this hostel apart from others is the community feeling of this place. We got to know many members of Juan's family while we were there. His mother, Ana, make breakfasts, and she even taught me how to make a few dishes as I love cooking. Inge is one of these people that really likes meeting people and getting to know them and make them feel comfortable. We connected easily and it was a joy to have the hosts and other hostel guests around to interact with and do activities together. It is easy to get fresh fruits and vegetables, as there are trucks that come by every day selling them right outside your door. A short walk to a tienda in the village supplies all of the other necessities for cooking. If you want a specialty item (like rice/almond milk, or nut butters) you can find them at the big mall in Manta (a 30 minute drive away). The beach is a short walk away which is nice for swimming, boogie boarding, or surfing. The kite surf school is a 40 minute walk away. While we were there if the wind was just right we were able to catch a ride with someone else from the hostel who was going there to kite surf. The Internet is fast. There are cell phone towers nearby. During the rainy season (starts in January) it is common to loose power for an hour or so when it rains. You can create a hot spot using your cell phone if you are working from there and need to stay connected while the power is out. They do have back up internet too. This is a great place to slow down, enjoy community, and the safe, quiet feeling of Santa Marianita. We just left and are already hoping to return again sometime this next year.

I stayed for two weeks and liked it a lot. The shower is very warm. The view is amazing, you really can see the Wales there. I was even lucky enough to see some dolphins. Even though it was in August (cloudy season) I had around 4 to 5 sunny days per week. I can recommend it and would come again.

This place is awesome. It is right on the beach, while I was here I saw whales almost everyday, the internet is great, and Inge and Juan are awesome. I really can’t recommend this place enough. It is the perfect place to relax. The town is a bit small but it has the basics. Also you can take kite surfing lessons and you aren’t too far from two national parks. I had an amazing time.

It is a very nice hostel, nice and helpfully stuff. I felt very welcome! a quite beach and peacful place without many tourrists. Unfortunutly the room where we slept wasnt very clean tho.. some animals feces felt at our bed at night,two times.. there wasnt a mosquito protection :/