El Zonte Overview

El Zonte is a small beach town with a big spirit. Life here moves to the rhythm of the ocean. You’ll hear it as you wake, see it from nearly every corner of town, and feel it in the slow stretch of each day. Surfers were the first to fall in love with this place. That same energy is still here, now joined by families, travelers, and creative minds looking for something more grounded.

The waves are consistent and kind. You’ll see locals and visitors out from sunrise to sunset, some learning, others simply floating in the lull between sets. The streets are sandy and walkable. A new bridge recently connected both sides of the river, making it even easier to explore. From the house, you’re just steps away from beachside cave formations, pupuserías, and small local shops, some of which accept bitcoin, though some small businesses stick to cash mainly.

The food scene is intimate and thoughtful. Canequé Café serves one sweet and one savory dish each day, usually eaten under the trees. La Cajita Kitchen brings delicate French crepes to tropical mornings. Nan-Tal, just next door to Al Suave, is a favorite among guests for long lunches and fresh seafood. Covana, just up the road, offers refined plates in a setting that still feels rooted in the coast.

Al Suave House sits right on the beach, in the heart of the community. From the garden or the mezzanine, you’ll see surfboards gliding across the horizon and neighbors stopping to say hello on their way to the tide. The house is woven into the fabric of the town, connected to the path that leads from the road to the ocean.

That connection started decades ago. Mateo, the owner of Al Suave, first arrived in El Zonte in his twenties with a surfboard and a one-way ticket to Costa Rica. But a stranger in Guatemala convinced him to take a detour. He never left. El Zonte’s perfect waves and kind community drew him in. What was supposed to be a few days turned into a lifetime. He bought the beachfront property on instinct and spent years dreaming under the Ceiba tree, stringing hammocks between the palms and watching the tide come in.

In 2020, he returned with his family and felt the same pull. He reached out to the architecture firm Cincopatasalgato, whose work had inspired him for years, and began building what would become Al Suave. Together with Paula Cabrera of Pepe Cabrera Homes, they created a home that reflects everything Mateo first fell in love with: open skies, warm people, and the quiet in between waves.

Al Suave isn’t just a place to stay. It’s part of a story that started with one wave and keeps unfolding with every guest who walks barefoot through the house.