Sunzal Surf Garden - El Tunco

Definitely not as nice as the photos show

Pictures are out of date, bathroom was not very clean, and hostel is not in El Tunco. Easy to travel to El Tunco by local bus. Across from 102A bus station, which is nice for travel to San Salvador. Guests and staff were friendly and nice. Just not worth the cost for me.

Stayed 2 nights at Sunzal Surf Garden but it didn’t meet expectations. The “superior 8-bed dorm” is actually a 10-bed dorm, which isn’t mentioned. Bunks had no charging outlets or reading lights, and the ensuite tap had no running water. Rooms were fairly clean, but the Hostelworld photos seem outdated as facilities look older than shown. Staff at check-in were lovely, though not very present during the stay. Reviews may be influenced by free ice cream offered for good feedback.

It's overpriced and not clean. The receptionist was incredibly rude the next morning and I left to find a better place.

I think the Space has a great potential to be nice but every thing was so dirty…. The “private bathrooms” in the dorms were super dirty! The kitchen was so dirty that there was some insect everywhere in the kitchen board…. And all the furniture were clean very badly…. In overall I think the big problem was the cleanliness because beside that the pool looks nice!

Kitchen and communal areas were regularly left uncleaned with lots of flies in the kitchen however the rooms were great with super comfy beds and good aircon. Tiny ladders on beds were difficult to climb

Nice hostel, super clean dorms and comfy beds. The staff was friendly. A little far from El Tunco, so not a lot of things to do around though.

Disappointing given the price. Misleading photos. Much nicer options in town for better price. Really run down: broken water dispensers and chairs. Slow to replace water. Toilet paper took 24 hours to be refilled. Fridge very dirty, common surfaces sticky. Stains on sheets and towels. Not enough staff (only one plus 2 volunteers). Little info shared: eg breakfast delivery, I didn’t know about until my last morning… would have helped a lot given the lack of restaurants nearby. Pros: comfy be...

It was okay. Decent hostel, but nothing special. My pillowcase had weird stains when I checked in and had to kill a couple spiders that made themselves at home by my top bunk. Bathrooms only has bar soap, not regular hand soap which was kinda weird. Atmosphere was ok, not really any activities or anything but people hung out in the common areas at night. The beach nearby is amazing, but not many stores, restaurants, etc and hard to get to El Tunco after dark.

Overall I enjoyed my stay at the hostel. I met some great people. The pool was nice, I appreciate the hammocks you can chill in, and beach is 2 min away with beautiful sunsets. That being said, hostel is a bit inconveniently located from el tunco, where all activities are happening and where you can get food or even coffee in the morning. The Ubers to el tunco are usually around 3/4 usd but it adds up if you do a few return trips a day. Also it was very cold in the female dorm.

If you look for a hostel with comfortable dorms, access to the beach, and want to support the locals, search no more. The hostel is operated by Patricia, a lovely local woman who puts her heart into this place. An amazing team of volunteers round out the experience. This is the sort of place where you extend your stay beyond your original plans (speaking from experience)

Had such a great stay there. Beds and AC in the room were wonderful — had my best sleep in weeks while travelling. The hostel has a cool open area with a bar, TV & couch, hammocks, and some board games. Atmosphere was social & chill, also thanks to Ollie, Justin, and Patricia. The staff also organize group meetups & nights out in El Tunco. They were truly engaged in what they were doing.

This was my first time ever traveling and staying at a hostel and I can’t express how happy I am that I chose this hostel. The hostel does a really good job of making a social environment, it’s very clean, I got amazing sleep, it’s close to the nice spots. Can’t recommend this hostel enough.

The mattresses were really comfortable, the air conditioning, and the beds had curtains. I was able to surf perfectly every day and sleep well.

My time in sunzal and this hostel was great. Friendly stuff, nice places to go close by and beautiful surfing spots ☺️

This hostel was one of the best stays I’ve experienced at a beachside hostel. If your plan is to surf every day like mine was, this is a good spot to be. It’s about a 20 minutes walk from the paddle out point at Sunzal. The kitchen is well stocked and cared for if you are interested in cooking during your stay. The vibe is chill so you will get plenty of sleep before a sunrise surf session. And the beds and the bedrooms are super clean and comfortable. For a restful hostel stay, I’d book h...

Kitchen and communal areas were regularly left uncleaned with lots of flies in the kitchen however the rooms were great with super comfy beds and good aircon. Tiny ladders on beds were difficult to climb

hot outside. cold inside. has pool. gotta uber to town but oh well

Super chill and social vibes, comfortable dorms with AC and clean facilities. Would stay again 100%

J’ai adoré l’ambiance (j’ai même étendu deux fois). Les lits sont bons, la cuisine bien équipée, les volontaires à l’écoute, et le spot de surf accessible à pied (15mn par un chemin agréable). Merci pour tout !

El hostal es muy bonito, muy grande y el personal son personas muy honestas! el lugar esta muy cerca de el tunco. Muy recomendado.

The manager Patricia was very helpful with booking shuttles + taxis. Rooms were clean and air conditioned. Able to walk along the beach to El Tunco within 20 minutes.

amazing chill place but still super social! the common area has a pool, hammocks, and a bunch of big tables for people to hang out at. it’s away from the town of el tunco but it’s super easy to get there by bus, hitchhiking, or taking the bus. would highly recommend!

Had an amazing stay here, ended up extending because I met the best people, volunteers are great and such a relaxed vibe. Nice to be a bit out of el tunco but still super social, going on hostel day trips and nights outs! Would definitely recommend 😆

Sunzal Surf Garden is the best hostel in El Tunco! I have stayed all around and this is the best one ! Great staff, great volunteers, surfboard rentals, good facilities, pool and kitchen and rooms and bathrooms are nice. I will be back soon!

Nice property, pictures are accurate. Good facilities with kitchen and swimming pool. Nice rooms with great AC. Large plot, so you don't feel cramped. Rooms could be a bit more practical, with more hooks and storage areas, so they don't get messy. Also would appreciate more activities being organized through the hostel. The one bigger downside is the location - it's not in El Tunco, but you can rent a moped through the hostel and it's a 5 minute driver over.

Absolutely loved my time here! I met so many great people and they organize events daily. The Wet Wednesday party was especially a blast, as well as the pool party that the hostel organized. Highly highly recommend this hostel!!

Definitely not as nice as the photos show

super bien, el personal fue incredible

Great staff good vibes