New Nautilus Lodge

A small lodge in Puerto López with a tropical garden, sea or garden views, and the sort of layout that suits a diving trip without pretending to be a dive centre. New Nautilus Lodge keeps the useful comforts close: air-conditioned rooms, private bathrooms, balconies or terraces, refrigerators and WiFi throughout the property.

The infinity pool, sun terrace and outdoor seating give you somewhere to decompress between outings. Families have dedicated rooms, a children's pool and board games, while couples can keep things simpler with a sea-view suite and a quiet corner outside. The lodge's website is available in English, French and Spanish.

You are in Puerto López, Ecuador, close to both the Pacific and the town centre. Puerto López Beach is about a two-minute walk away, while Salango Beach is roughly 3.5 miles from the lodge by road. For a sea view without the sand in your shoes, that is a fairly practical compromise.

The surroundings are useful rather than ornamental. Machalilla National Park is about 0.35 miles away, and several restaurants sit within roughly 0.35 miles, including Moby Dick Restaurante, Il Capuccino Pizzería Ristorante and Patacón Pisao. The lodge also places you near the area's boat excursions, wildlife outings and cultural trips, with the sea doing most of the heavy lifting.

The room choice is mainly about how much space you want around you and whether the view matters. Couples can look towards the Deluxe Queen Suite or the Deluxe Suite with Sea View; the latter gives you more room and a balcony or terrace from which to let the day wind down. For families or a small group, the apartments and family accommodation make more sense than trying to arrange everyone around one standard room.

Air conditioning is the useful detail here, particularly when the coast has done its warm, salty work. Refrigerators let you keep water or fruit ready for your return, while a kettle, sofa and flat-screen TV cover the slower part of the evening. Rooms have wardrobes, clothes racks and private bathrooms with showers; family accommodation includes large beds, although some family options do not list a bathroom in the room details, so check the exact room card before booking.

Balconies or terraces appear across the accommodation, with either garden or sea views depending on the room. That gives you a place to sit without turning the bed into your only chair. There are no cots or extra beds, and children of any age are welcome; children aged four and over are treated as adults under the property's policy.

Breakfast is continental, and the lodge describes it as generous. You can also have breakfast in your room, which is handy when an early start has made conversation an optional extra. Tea and coffee-making facilities are available in the accommodation.

There is a bar, with outdoor seating around the property, but no detailed restaurant concept or menu to build your evening around. Room service is available, and the town supplies the wider choice: Moby Dick Restaurante is about 0.35 miles away, while Il Capuccino Pizzería Ristorante and Patacón Pisao are each around 0.35 miles from the lodge. In other words, breakfast is handled on site and dinner can take you a short walk beyond the gate.

The infinity pool is the obvious place to settle after returning from the coast, with a separate children's pool for younger guests. Sun loungers, beach towels, a sun terrace and outdoor furniture keep the recovery programme pleasantly uncomplicated. A tropical garden adds somewhere to wander when sitting still has stopped working.

For a little more movement, the tour desk and concierge service connect with the wider Puerto López area. Walking tours, cycling, hiking, horse riding, fishing and snorkelling are among the activities available around the lodge, while the property's own programme includes boat outings, island trips, waterfalls, markets and wildlife observation. Massage is also available on site, because sometimes the correct post-dive plan is simply to lie down while somebody else does the work.

Families have board games and puzzles, and the setting works for a mixed group: one person can take the pool seriously, another can head towards Machalilla National Park, and nobody needs to turn the afternoon into an organised expedition.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, with check-out from 11:00 to 12:00. A 24-hour front desk, private and express check-in and check-out, concierge service and a tour desk cover the practical edges of the stay. Free private parking is available on site without reservation.

An airport shuttle and a general shuttle service are available to arrange with the lodge. Eloy Alfaro International Airport serves the area, and the road transfer is the part to plan around rather than an airport walk that exists only on a map. The lodge accepts cash payments, and pets are not allowed.

WiFi is free throughout the property. The accommodation is non-smoking, with a designated smoking area, and rooms have air conditioning, refrigerators and room service. Cancellation and prepayment conditions vary by accommodation type, so the exact room choice matters here rather more than the brochure language suggests.