Two beach houses with karaoke, private pools and air conditioning in every bedroom, on El Salvador's Surf City coast. Thirty minutes from San Salvador.
Both sleep sixteen, both have a pool and a karaoke setup, and both are booked through Airbnb. The difference is the shape of the trip you want.
Playa El Cocal, La Libertad. Fifty metres from the sand.
The big one. Two floors, five bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a glass-walled living room kept cool all day, an arcade machine, and the beach at the end of the lane.
Playa El Sunzal, Tamanique. A short walk from El Tunco.
The rancho. One level under a palm-thatched roof, a pool with its own island, three hammocks, a 105-inch karaoke screen, and the caretaker's family living on the property.
Every stay comes with a karaoke screen, wireless microphones and YouTube, so the only thing you pack is the song list. Whatever you can find online, you can sing.
Netflix is installed on the TVs too, with your own account, for when the night ends on the sofa.
The short version, side by side. Every detail here is also on the Airbnb listing.
| Feature | El Cocal | El Sunzal |
|---|---|---|
| Beach | About fifty metres, best at low tide. There is a tide clock by the TV. | Five to ten minutes on foot. |
| Layout | Two floors with an upstairs lounge and balcony | Single level, no stairs |
| Bedrooms | Five, each with its own bathroom, plus a half bath by the pool | Four, sharing two bathrooms |
| Sleeps | Sixteen in ten beds, crib available | Sixteen in thirteen beds |
| Air conditioning | Every bedroom, plus the glass-enclosed living and dining room from 7am to 1am | Every bedroom |
| Karaoke | 65-inch TV, two wireless mics, sound system | 105-inch projector, Bluetooth sound |
| Pool and outdoors | Pool with outdoor showers, fenced garden, mango tree, charcoal grill | Pool with an island, thatched rancho, three hammocks, grill |
| Games | Arcade machine with twelve games, foosball, a children's playroom and board games | The pool and the hammocks |
| Wifi | 60 Mbps | Wifi and a wired Ethernet port |
| Parking | Five cars, on the property | Six cars, on the property |
| Nearby | Seven-minute walk to a shopping centre with a supermarket and bank. Five minutes by car to El Tunco. | El Tunco's restaurants and surf break within walking distance. Quiet at night. |
| Guests say | 4.84 from 169 reviews | 4.70 from 357 reviews |
| Book El Cocal on Airbnb | Book El Sunzal on Airbnb |
Leave San Salvador, drive half an hour down to the port of La Libertad, then turn west along the Pacific. El Cocal comes first; El Tunco and then El Sunzal are a few minutes further on.
“Use their karaoke; it's the best. I loved that it was very close to El Tunco.”
“The whole downstairs is enclosed in glass and air conditioned. The games top off a great time for the kids and big kids.”
“Close enough to the energy of El Tunco, far enough away to feel the peace of the ranch.”
Quoted from public Airbnb reviews. Read all of them on each listing.
