Windmill Hostel

El Valle


A welcome addition, this American-run hostelry has 25 rooms in two buildings spread over a large grassy tract of land backed by a stream. Two dormitories have 12 beds each; the one with air-conditioning costs US$22.50. Larger doubles such as No 22 (US$88) include a separate kitchen, though there's a large common kitchen and outdoor barbecue area.

Along with a pool and Jacuzzi (overlooked by a Buddha statue, of course), there's a large games room with ping-pong and pool tables, a laundry room (US$5 per load) and bikes to rent for US$10 a day.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby El Valle attractions

1. Museo Victoriano Lorenzo

0.09 MILES

The exhibits in the three rooms of this small museum east of the center focus on local history and the eponymous mestizo national hero. The most…

2. Butterfly Haven

0.3 MILES

One of El Valle's top attractions allows you to walk among up to 250 butterflies as they flutter by in a screened 'flight house.' Learn more about these…

3. Aprovaca

0.41 MILES

For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…

5. Zoológico El Níspero

0.53 MILES

About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…

6. Museo Histórico Padre José Noto

0.61 MILES

The most interesting exhibits in this small, very central museum divided into seven sections are the ones focusing on petroglyphs and ceramics produced by…

7. Square-Trunk Trees

1.37 MILES

El Valle’s peculiar árboles cuadrados (square-trunk trees) are located northeast of the Hotel Campestre. After a 30-minute hike through the forest and…

8. La Piedra Pintada

1.57 MILES

Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals sometimes fill in the…