El Caminante Bar & Bungalows

4.0 star property
VIP Access

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Photo gallery for El Caminante Bar & Bungalows

Enjoy breathtaking ocean views from this scenic coastal road.
Relax in this serene space with a wooden bench, round table, and lush greenery.
Experience the warm and inviting atmosphere of our lobby, featuring a high ceiling, ornate chandeliers, and comfortable seating areas.
Relax by the pool surrounded by lush landscaping and take in the scenic views from the balcony.
Relax on the rooftop with lounge chairs and a small bench, surrounded by lush greenery and a unique cylindrical feature.

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Housekeeping
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Parking included
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

Map
34862 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point, CA, 92624
  • Doheny State Beach
    ‪18 min walk‬
  • The Coach House
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Dana Point Harbor
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Orange County, CA (SNA-John Wayne)
    ‪29 min drive‬
VIP Access
Curated for quality and service, VIP Access stays consistently receive our highest guest ratings.
  • Expect exceptional service
  • Extra savings and perks for BONUS+ members

Room options

Room, 1 King Bed, Mobility Accessible, Patio

  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Patio

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
(4 reviews)
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Ocean View

  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Presidential Suite

  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Suite

  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Balcony, Ocean View

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

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About this property

El Caminante Bar & Bungalows

Fun on the beach, near Dana Point Harbor
When you stay at this beach hotel, you can enjoy umbrellas and sunloungers.
El Caminante Bar & Bungalows offers 28 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and complimentary bathrobes. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. Fridges and microwaves are provided. Bathrooms include a shower, slippers and complimentary toiletries.

Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access (speed: 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices)). 47-inch flat-screen televisions come with digital channels. Additionally, rooms include an iron/ironing board and a ceiling fan. In-room massages and hairdryers can be requested. Housekeeping is provided on a daily basis.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include complimentary bicycles.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or nearby; fees may apply.

During your stay at El Caminante Bar & Bungalows, you're just a quick walk from Poche Beach. Enjoy features like free WiFi in public areas and free self-parking, plus a restaurant.
  • Free Wi-Fi (speed: 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices))
  • Free self-parking
  • Drinking and dining options include a coffee shop, a restaurant and a bar/lounge
  • Cooked-to-order breakfast served daily for a fee
  • On-site recreation includes complimentary bicycles and hiking/biking trails
  • Just a 3-minute drive from Dana Point Harbor and 6 minutes from Mission San Juan Capistrano
There's a restaurant on site, as well as a coffee shop/cafe. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi is free in public spaces. Free self parking is available.

This 4-star Dana Point hotel is smoke free.

For a fee, guests can enjoy a cooked-to-order breakfast daily from 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
El Caminante Bar – On-site café.

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices)
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free 24-hour offsite parking within 6 metres
  • Street parking available
  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Daily cooked-to-order breakfast available 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM for a fee: USD 10 to 25 per person
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Restaurants on site

  • El Caminante Bar

Things to do

  • Bodyboard
  • Free bicycle rentals
  • Hiking/biking trails

Family friendly

  • In-room microwave
  • In-room refrigerator

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Guidebooks

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels
  • Beach umbrellas
  • In a nature reserve
  • On the beach

Spa

  • In-room massages

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 2 accessible parking spaces
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Front entrance ramp
  • Grab bar near toilet (84 centimetre high)
  • Tile flooring in room
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • 2 floors
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Dressing gowns
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Slippers
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 47-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Free local calls
  • Iron/ironing board

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age - 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cots (infant beds) are not available.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Resort fee: USD 35.00 per accommodation, per night
The resort fee includes:
  • Additional inclusions
  • Beach access
  • Concierge service
  • In-room coffee

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Fee for cooked-to-order breakfast: approximately USD 10.00 to 25.00 per person

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards and cash
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.

We should mention

  • This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly).

Property is also known as

Capistrano Seaside
Capistrano Seaside Dana Point
Capistrano Seaside Inn
Capistrano Seaside Inn Dana Point
Capistrano Seaside Hotel Capistrano Beach
El Caminante
El Caminante Bar Bungalows
El Caminante Bar & Bungalows Motel
El Caminante Bar & Bungalows Dana Point
El Caminante Bar & Bungalows Motel Dana Point

El Caminante Bar & Bungalows Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 156 out of 188 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 188 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 11 out of 188 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 188 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 188 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Betty A

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
The rooms are small and the coffee was terrible. The bed took up the whole room, and there was no table to use my computer. For two days, loud music was playing. I wanted to enjoy the sun but didn't want to listen to the music. One good thing: the workers were very nice.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Deon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This place was neat with its architecture. Perfect location for a weekend getaway with your lady.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sean

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Love the atmosphere and the proximity to all the locations I like.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Diana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rooms are small but perfect for a short stay. We booked the patio suite and loved it since we were only staying for 1 night. The bar/lobby and whole aesthetics of the entire property were really cool. The bartender was really into crafting his cocktails which made them taste even better! Not to mention the great music selection which also helped set the vibe, highly recommend. Morning was great since they have an espresso machine onsite! For beach path access, you can take a short walk to the street light or j-walk across PCH.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities

Good if you need a place in town for a night

Like the title says, I wouldn’t stay here more than a night but I see the appeal if you want to drink at their bar / there is an event on property maybe ur going to. No room service, no pool, no hotel phone for concierge- think bed and breakfast almost. Rooms are tiny tiny but that’s the charm. They said a text would be sent to my phone for a chat concierge but I never got it. Room key is cute. Record player cute, super cute! The bathroom and interior design EATS but having lived by the beach I just hope their new crown molding in each room doesn’t get too dusty over time!! Le labo is always a good sign in a hotel. Coffee was yummy. Fire pits are a nice touch with the ocean view rooms. You can hear everything ur next door neighbor is saying tho so not sure how romantic that was haha Great for locals but expect to walk over to poche beach if you want the water. We were celebrating a birthday as included in my notes and a comped drink would’ve been nice esp since it’s a new hotel. 4 pm check in is a little later than most. 11am check out is fine but there isn’t much to linger around on your last day so we went to montage and le petit pali to see other options for future anniversaries. I hope the bungalows it do well - I think with the right local activations and events it could!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Veronica

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent customer service, especially from Paul. We loved the property and would love to stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

jeff

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nicole

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Surrounded by Beauty

The property was impeccable. The wooden doors were breathtakingly beautiful. The rooms were immaculately clean. The decor was fantastic. The staff, despite being busy, especially during happy hour/weekend was friendly, kind and helpful. The food, drinks and music were wonderful.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kaitelyne

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was amazing! We booked last minute and were treated excellently. The room was clean and beautiful. Every staff member was so thoughtful and went out of their way to make our stay perfect.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michael, Boston

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing location across from the pacific. It’s on the road, so some road noise but that was a given with the location. Very cool and charming vibe. Turntables in the room and you can borrow vinyl from the bar (my son pulled Bob Marley). Very clean and cool Spanish style decor. Staff was very friendly. My only criticism is the scones and muffins we bought for breakfast were a bit overtoasted and hard, but the cappuccino was great!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Couples Getaway

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The room was very clean. The bed was extremely comfortable. The shower had great water pressure. We enjoyed the view of the ocean from the bed. While the rooms are small, we enjoyed the coziness of it. We wish they had something other than instant coffee in the rooms though. Overall, enjoyed our stay and would come back.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sojourner

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tiffany

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This hotel is very charming & for the price I paid, I thought it was worth it. The room was clean & spacious with a fireplace. The bed was comfortable, & the TV had all of the apps I wanted so I didn’t have to airplay. The location was great & I had a lovely view of the ocean. There were hardwood floors & the room had a 1940s feel with velvet couches & crown molding. I liked the decor a lot. The hotel bar served excellent drinks although there weren’t many breakfast options. There’s no real kitchen so its offerings are limited. The windows are not dual paned so you can hear the PCH traffic. If you are sensitive to noise, you may want ear plugs. Again, for the price I paid (under $300) it didn’t bother me. I really feel like I got my monies worth.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

olga

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice and lovely to have a good time
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Jan, Paso Robles

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
All the places brand new and it has a great location. We checked out one day early because the first night we were there they allowed another person to check in at 1 AM above us and they walked around for a few hours keeping us awake. The rooms have tile floor so if there’s someone above you, you can hear every footstep very loudly. I would suggest that you get a room that does not have rooms above you.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Mark

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cute boutique hotel. Room was small, but comfortable. Perfect for the one night getaway we were looking for.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Monique

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property, unique design, incredible attention to detail, great staff.. wonderful stay and great location! I love the doors in the rooms that the upper half opens to see the ocean. Best stay!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

JAMES

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Quirky but charming.

Quirky but pleasant; spruced up old motel on Pacific Coast Highway across from beach and ocean (lightly used commuter rail tracks between PCH and ocean. Tight room with king size bed. The “living room” is outside—sofa, easy chair, coffee and side table, ceramic propane fire pot. In off season it can be chilly and overcast/foggy this close to the water. Modern bath with tiled, glass shower stall. Pleasant, “old” California bar where continental breakfast is available, drinks all evening. Very accommodating staff.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Liora

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very beautiful property with great landscaping, decor, high quality furniture and fixtures. Unfortunately our room was missing some essentials like hand soap, extra toilet paper, and body wash. Staff very friendly and helpful, but they are understaffed. Regardless, I would stay here again because it’s so beautiful and reasonably priced.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sean

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love the atmosphere in the beach vibe
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Adam

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Journey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff, we had an amazing stay!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne L

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful ocean view room

Beautiful hotel with an ocean view. The rooms were newly renovated and really nice. Not a lot of space in the room. The bed takes up the whole room. The patio was great with a wonderful view. Easy access to the beach.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025