“Floating in the pool at Lili's Hostel around 3pm, when the anillos outside were at their most brutal, a French backpacker mentioned the walk to Güembé Biocentre took barely fourteen minutes, which turned into a shared taxi plan for the following afternoon and a standing invitation to compare notes over the buffet breakfast.”
Lili's Hostel centers on a swimming pool with a view and an open-air bath set in a lush garden, with a continental buffet breakfast, family rooms and private check-in. Located 12 kilometres from Viru Viru airport, a 14-minute walk from Güembé Biocentre.
Go to Lili's Hostel expecting a pool, not a beach, and the stay reads very differently in a good way.
Use the pool in the early afternoon, that's when the anillos outside are least walkable due to heat.
Book the Güembé Biocentre walk from Lili's Hostel, it's a genuine 14-minute walk rather than an exaggerated distance.
Ask about the open-air bath at check-in, it's a smaller feature easy to miss on a first walk through the garden.
Pack real swimwear for Santa Cruz if a pool afternoon is part of your plan, it's the closest thing to a beach day here.
