Hostería Mandála: Seaside Retreat - A Harmonious Fusion of Nature and Art, Puerto Lopez, Manabí Province

Welcome to the enchanting story of Mandla! We are Maja, from Switzerland, and Aurelio, from Italy. Our journey began in 1991 on Isabela Island, Galpagos, where Aurelio ran a small inn. In 1998, we purchased this beautiful 7350m2 beachfront property in the Machalilla National Park area with the dream of creating a peaceful retreat. At the time, the entire area was submerged under three meters of water due to the El Nio floods. Before construction, we had to fill the land with 3500 truckloads of backfill material. In February 1999, we started receiving guests with just three double cabins. Over the next five years, we worked tirelessly, bringing in soil, leaves, rice husks, and coffee to cultivate the garden. Gradually, with the help of the local community of Agua Blanca and the surrounding area, we built the Hostera as it stands today. Our vision was to create a natural sanctuary, eschewing air conditioning and televisions, and instead focusing on spacious, bright, and tranquil spaces. We put great effort into crafting a botanical garden with hundreds of plant and flower species, teeming with wildlife like birds and iguanas. Mandla lies within the dry equatorial forest ecosystem, which means water is scarce. To address this, we collect water from the Ayampe River, 22 km away, using a tanker and have installed a sophisticated wastewater treatment system with bacteria and forced aeration to recycle all water used in the kitchen, laundry, and showers. Hence, we don't have a swimming pool but instead opted to plant palm trees along the beach and construct cozy cabins for guests to unwind and hang hammocks. Our goal was to blend nature and art harmoniously. All the materials used and the workforce come entirely from the local area. We support various social projects and the Marine Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of the National Park.Mandla boasts numerous structures, including the main building, a three-story house divided into three independent apartments for long-term rentals, 10 individual cabins for two guests, and six constructions, each with 2 to 4 attached cabins, totaling 15 additional cabins. Additionally, there are various storage rooms and nurseries. The main feature is a harmonious structure immersed in lush nature, with flowers, plants, birds, and iguanas right at the ocean's edge. The attention to detail and artistry is evident in every aspect, reflecting the Hostera Mandla's motto of nature and art. Given its strategic location, Mandla doesn't have an indoor swimming pool due to its proximity to the beach. Instead, we provide beach chairs and large parasols for guests. Moreover, the cabins are designed to be naturally ventilated and thermally protected by the surrounding forest, negating the need for air conditioning. Each cabin comes with individual bathrooms and hot water, as well as ceiling and pedestal fans. Additionally, they all have spacious terraces with wicker chairs, hammocks, and reliable Wi-Fi connectivity. The main building houses the Hostera's reception, a spacious restaurant, and a bar with a large terrace on the first floor. It also features restrooms for both men and women and shelves filled with games in different languages. The first floor also accommodates a well-organized, extensive kitchen equipped with refrigerators, freezers, and everything necessary for excellent service. Adjacent to the kitchen, there is a medium-sized storage room for supplies and continuous use. Connected to this kitchen are two more storage roomsone large room for beverages, a grease separator for kitchen wastewater, a pump feeding an emergency cistern on the third floor in case of any failure in the main autoclave system, which supplies the entire property with water. This autoclave system, pressure pump, large sediment filters, and massive (one-and-a-half-meter tall) silicone filters for scale removal are housed in the second storage room, which also contains the staff restroom and changing area. On the second floor, ther