Hotel Residencial Pedasí (tel. 995 2490, www.residencialpedasi.com, US$20 s, US$25 d), on the main road at the north end of town, offers 14 clean, spartan rooms with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and computers for rent. The beds are a bit saggy and the rooms tend to be somewhat dark. But the spot is nice and quiet. There’s an open-air restaurant that opens when the hotel has guests.

Dim’s Hostel (tel. 995-2303, cell 6664-1900, mirely [at] iname [dot] com, US$27 s, US$33 d, including breakfast) is on the west side of the main road about midway through Pedasí. It’s actually a simple bed-and-breakfast, not a hostel. Accommodations consist of eight air-conditioned rooms with private baths in the aging home of the owner, Mirna Batista.

Rooms are basic, but they have character and were recently renovated. None of the rooms has hot water but most have cable TV. Guests are served full breakfasts out on an attractive thatch-roofed patio area with a massive mango tree as the centerpiece. Guests can bring their own food for lunch and dinner and use the backyard kitchen to prepare it.

Out back there’s a traditional casa de quincha—an adobe house built during community festivals. Mirna now lives out there. The guesthouse has an Internet computer (first half hour free, then US$1/hour).

Mirna is an energetic, attentive, and helpful host who speaks pretty good English. She’s very friendly and will cheerfully take guests under her wing if they want her to. She’s the go-to person for help setting up a trip to Isla de Cañas and other area attractions. Expect to pay US$30 for transportation and US$15 for a guide. This place is popular, so make reservations as far in advance as possible, especially during the dry season and holidays.

Rosa de Vientos (US$40–45 s/d) does not offer air-conditioning or even electricity. (The latter, at least, is allegedly working its way to the property.) What it does offer are three clean, simple rooms with firm beds and high ceilings, 700 meters from the coast. It’s run by a Swiss woman who has lived in Pedasí since 2005. It’s about two kilometers from downtown Pedasí on the road to Playa Toro, which is popular with locals.

Breakfast is available for US$4. This place is a good value.