Punto Verde Ecological Guesthouse

OK, first of all a disclaimer. This place is not for the faint-hearted. When we went, due to excessive rainfall, we had to climb the muddy hill in the pitch black, the room we stayed in had a lot of insects in it (though mosquito net kept them off us at night), there were any number of frogs and snails hopping and sliding around the grounds and inside and the compost toilets were an experience in and of themselves. You're not staying at the Ritz. With all that said and done, this was our favourite place to stay during our two weeks in Ecuador, partly because of all the above. The owner Joos was really friendly and helpful, and has built the place apparently completely on her own, and deals with any repairs or fixes herself. It really felt like staying at her home for three nights, and she made us feel really welcome. There were all manner of cats in the building, and our room had a catflap so each morning we woke up there was at least one cat in the room to wake us. Unfortunately, we only had time for one meal while we were there, but it was absolutely beautiful. There were hammocks on the upper deck, which had access to wifi, and the view over the town was stunning. I don't know if I'd have wanted to stay in the heart of Montanita, as it's very much a big party town and that might have been a bit much, so it was so great to be able to tackle the adventure of the trek back up the hill after a night out, and be surrounded only by the sounds of nature when we got back. If you've ever wanted your holiday to include the feeling of staying on a surreal kind of commune, with all that entails, this is 100% the place for you. We didn't even know that's what we wanted until we found it. Leave your reservations at the door and go whole-heartedly into the experience, and I guarantee you'll love it. Montanita is a truly beautiful town, and this place enhanced our stay there no end.