Hotels in Playa Pavones

Riviera Riverside Villas (tel. 2776-2396; www.pavonesriviera.com) offers modern, plush individual cabins, as well as several fully equipped house rentals, a block or so inland from the water, right alongside the Río Claro (Clear River). Cabinas La Ponderosa ★ (tel. 2776-2076; www.laponderosapavones.com) is a small, beachfront collection of cabins and private, rustic villas, a bit outside of town, on the way to Punta Banco.

Right in Pavones, several very basic lodges cater to itinerant surfers by renting rooms for between $10 and $20 per night for a double. Most welcome walk-ins. For cheap in-town lodgings, there's Mira Olas (tel. 2776-2006; www.miraolas.com), 2 blocks uphill from the soccer field.