In the last few months we were fortunate enough to have rescued a parrot from a raided gang house in El Salvador. To our surprise, Pancho has quite an extensive vocabulary that he picked up while living with his former caretakers.
Visitors of the area as well as guests of our ecolodge have the opportunity to see Pancho the Talking Parrot in person. Take a look at the video and see for yourself. We are happy to welcome him to our beautiful beach resort in El Salvador.
La Cocotera has been featured in Frommer’s Nicaragua El Salvador Travel Guide and in El Salvador: A Great Destination (Explorer’s Guide).
Frommer’s lists La Cocotera as a “find.” Frommer’s says, “Staying here is an unforgettable experience.” We are so pleased to be recognized by Frommer’s. Furthermore, we are so glad that Frommer’s identified what La Cocotera tries to achieve with the eco resort. Frommer’s describes the ecoresort and some of the eco-friendly features at La Cocotera:
This is one of the finest ecolodges in all of Central America and certainly one of the most luxurious hotels in El Salvador outside of San Salvador. It offers a rare taste of international style in a remote and beautiful part of the country. La Cocotera gets the balance right: utter comfort with a social conscience. It employs locals, uses sustainable energy, promotes nature conservation, and blends right in with its environment.
As an ecoresort, La Cocotera features solar-powered hot water and brown-water recycling, and it even incubates turtle eggs, gathered from illegal vendors around the country, for release by guests into the sea. The staff is gracious and friendly.
El Salvador: A Great Destination (Explorer’s Guide) describes Barra de Santiago as “one of the most remote beaches in El Salvador.” The guide then continues to talk about La Cocotera Resort and Ecolodge, “This outstanding ecolodge on the endless beach may be a bit upscale for folk really watching their carbon footprint, but it’s fantastic. Six spacious palapa-topped bungalows are hewn from natural materials, with exquisitely crafted bamboo detailing and gorgeous solar-heated showers with smooth black rocks all around.”
Be sure to check out these travel guides on your way to La Cocotera!
El Salvador is slowly earning a reputation as the ideal place for sun, surf and peaceful solitude. Travel to this tropical area is on the rise as word gets out about ideal surfing conditions, unique wildlife, beautiful beaches and captivating culture. For those who seek a travel experience a little bit off the beaten path, but with the trimmings of a picturesque beach vacation, La Cocotera ecolodge should be your first stop. In her article for the Travel Section of The New York Times Online, Bonnie Tsui dotes on the charm and beauty of El Salvador:
“A lingering reputation of El Salvador as a war-torn place has kept many foreign visitors at bay, but the country’s beaches, volcanic craters, pristine cloud forests and bird sanctuaries are setting it up to be the next Costa Rica, without the crowds. Authentic local experiences abound: rustic roadside stands everywhere sell pupusas, the country’s famous corn tortillas, usually filled with gooey cheese and refried beans. Out on the water, seasoned oyster divers, their floats and nets bobbing on the surface, are ready to chat between trips down to the rocky seabed.”
Like any area that experiences a spike in travel, big hotels have begun to sprout. By traveling to smaller coastal villages such as Barra de Santiago, you will experience the same El Salvador that Tsui describes. With waves that are mellow but challenging, mouth-watering local fare, friendly local people and plenty of opportunity for nature exploration, staying at an El Salvador ecolodge is a travel experience you don’t want to miss.
Read the full article on El Salvador travel at travel.nytimes.com
Traveling green doesn’t just mean staying at an ecolodge or turning off the lights when you leave your bungalow, you can pack green too! Here are some tips on what to bring to our El Salvador beachfront ecolodge and how to keep it eco-friendly.
El Salvador has a tropical climate with two seasons: verano, or dry season (November to April), and invierno, or wet season (May to October). Rainfall during this time is usually a single downpour during the day or night with the rest of the day being sunny. The year round average air temperature is between 70 ° - 90 ° F (or 21 ° – 32 ° C), with the hottest months typically being March and April.
Remember to bring lightweight, waterproof outerwear if you plan to travel during the wet season. To keep things wet/dry while you are out and about on excursions, such as a tour of El Imposible National Park, simply re-use old plastic bags as containers.
Pack light! Barra de Santiago is a tropical area so you don’t need to bring any heavy clothes. Packing lighter will lighten the load for you and for all your transportation vehicles. Bring a mix of long and short sleeve shirts for hot days and cooler nights. Instead of denim, which can be heavy and uncomfortable in the humidity and heat, opt for breathable materials for shorts and pants.
If you plan to embark on any eco tours, remember to bring hiking and/or walking shoes along with your beach shoes. On a similar note, bringing a day travel bag for hikes or eco tours is a great way to keep the essentials (sunscreen, water bottle, etc.) with you as you explore the area.
At La Cocotera, we encourage our guests to explore the wonderful natural area surrounding the ecolodge, from the ocean to the estuary to the mangroves. While you’re out and about, it’s a good idea to wear bug repellent. Many repellents products contain harsh chemical ingredients that are bad for the environment and for you. Look for non-chemical repellents, or better yet, make your own! Good herbs that repel mosquitoes include basil, eucalyptus, cloves, geranium, peppermint, rosemary and lemon balm (citronella). You can make your own repellent by combining 10 drops essential oil (see list of herbs, above, for choices) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Combine the ingredients in a glass jar; stir to blend. Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing.
