At the Casa Iguana Hotel, we couldn't have asked for more. On a cobbled street across from the gargantuan La Jolla de Mismaloya, Casa Iguana offers a smaller, quainter, Mexican experience. The hotel is indeed comfortable, clean, and possesses all the necessary amenities such as a mini kitchen, fans, and a telephone. We actually bought avocados and tortillas in the general store and made our own guacamole. The rooms are very charming and spacious, with rustic furniture, Mexican folk art, tiled floors, with bedspreads and cushions covered in traditional style fabrics of red and orange hues. They are also equipped with communal balconies looking out over the pool, the palapa covered restaurant “La Cocina,” and to the lush surrounding jungle that climbs the hills in all directions.
D.J./ concierge Jamie plays mellow and moody world music throughout the day, loud enough to hear but quiet enough to read a book by the pool. The grounds are landscaped with grass and Kana flowers and vegetation surrounds the curving and voluptuous pool. Accompanying this scene are the sounds of wild life in the nearby creek. Parakeets, parrots, and a variety of tropical birds dance in flight overhead. Ironically, in this very comfortable little hotel, iguanas, geckos, turtles, donkeys, chickens, and dogs are never too far off. At night, the sounds of the jungle come alive carrying us in our dreams deeper into another time and place.
(For those who actually want to stay in touch with the world, Internet services are also available.)
Casa Iguana Hotel is, moreover, the perfect location since it is approximately 20 minutes by bus to Puerto Vallarta and about 10 minutes to Boca Tomatlán, where one can take water taxis to the more remote settlements on the south coast. On the first day, however, we simply walked down the dirt path to the beach, ordered a bucket of beer and ceviche, and talked with the locals. Just to remember: One little restaurant across the creek, nestled between mango trees makes great huevos rancheros. I believe it is just past the store, “La Pasadita” on the south side on the way to the beach. Another thing you cannot miss when you stay at the Casa Iguana is hiking (or driving) up to El Eden waterfall. I felt like a little kid, again, swinging from the rope to plunge into the deep, natural pool. You can also climb up a wooden ladder on the side of some rocks and ride down the slick boulders like a water slide. Wonderfully, there is a full service restaurant and bar right next to this jungle paradise so you can snack on ceviche, chips and salsa, and drink rusas de cerveza (beer, salt, and lime) in between cannonballs.
On the southeast corner of highway 200, near the bus stop there is a little makeshift food stand that changes its merchants and its concessions throughout the day. In the mornings, a mother and son team will squeeze fresh juices of all sorts and prepare breakfast and tacos on site. In the afternoons, Anselmo offers heaping cups of papaya, watermelon, jicama, mango, and coconut, all with their share of chili, lime, and salt (if you like).
I didn’t envy anyone at the more heavily touristed La Jolla de Mismaloya and will return to Casa Iguana for another charming Mexican experience. It was so very pretty and peaceful…the food at La Cocina was also good. I suggest that people sit at the one upstairs little table…that one is the best. The Casa Iguana Hotel is truly a little piece of magic. Beautifully situated, it is tucked along a tiny cobbled road in the village of Mismaloya while still close enough to all the sites. One can always take the bus or taxi into town in the evening for more action. This gem is the right spot for anyone who is looking to not only get away to a tropical paradise but to experience a little bit of the real Mexican color.
I hope all who reads this review will enjoy the Casa Iguana as we so did.
Buen Viaje!
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