El Caminante Bar & Bungalows

4.0 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for El Caminante Bar & Bungalows

Restaurant
Front of property
Exterior
Presidential Suite
Restaurant

Reviews

9.4 out of 10

Exceptional

Popular amenities

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

Explore the area

Map
34862 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point, CA, 92624
  • Capistrano Beach Park
    4 min walk
  • Doheny State Beach
    17 min walk
  • The Sea Caves
    6 min drive
  • Orange County, CA (SNA-John Wayne)
    27 min drive

Room options

Room, 1 King Bed, Mobility Accessible, Patio

  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Patio

  • 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

  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Dana Point

With a stay at El Caminante Bar & Bungalows in Dana Point (Capistrano Beach), you'll be a 3-minute drive from Dana Point Harbor and 6 minutes from Mission San Juan Capistrano. .This motel is 4.6 mi (7.3 km) from San Clemente Pier and 14.1 mi (22.6 km) from Crystal Cove State Park.

What's nearby

  • Capistrano Beach Park - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Doheny State Beach - 17 min walk - 1.5 km
  • Dana Point Harbor - 3 min drive - 3.2 km
  • The Coach House - 4 min drive - 3.6 km
  • Salt Creek Beach Park - 7 min drive - 5.7 km

Getting around

  • San Juan Capistrano Depot - 11 min drive
  • John Wayne Airport (SNA) - 27 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪A's Burgers - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Denny's - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Kawamata Seafood - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Sunsets Bar & Grill - ‬4 min walk

About this property

El Caminante Bar & Bungalows

Dana Point motel in Capistrano Beach with a 24-hour front desk and a coffee shop
El Caminante Bar & Bungalows offers 28 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and bathrobes. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. Refrigerators and microwaves are provided. Bathrooms include showers, 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 irons/ironing boards and ceiling fans. In-room massages and hair dryers can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.

Recreational amenities at the motel include complimentary bicycles.

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

Make yourself at home in one of the 28 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Your pillowtop bed comes with premium bedding. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms feature showers, complimentary toiletries, and bathrobes.
This smoke-free motel features complimentary parking nearby, bodyboards on site, and complimentary bicycles on site. Recreational activities include hiking/biking trails on site, boat tours nearby, and snorkeling nearby.
Enjoy a meal at El Caminante Bar or snacks in the motel's coffee shop/cafe. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available daily from 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM for a fee.
Free self parking is available onsite.
Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 7:00 AM and 11:30 AM.
El Caminante Bar - Onsite 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 public transport

  • Free self-parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available
  • Free 24 hours off-site parking within 20 ft
  • Street parking available

Food and drink

  • Cooked-to-order breakfast available for a fee daily 7:00 AM–11:30 AM: USD 10.00-25.00 per person
  • 1 restaurant and 1 coffee shop/cafe
  • 1 bar

Restaurants on site

  • El Caminante Bar

Things to do

  • Bodyboards on-site
  • Free bike hire
  • Hiking/biking trails

Family friendly

  • Microwave
  • Fridge

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Daily housekeeping

Outdoors

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach umbrellas
  • Nature reserve

Accessibility

  • If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • This property does not have any lifts
  • Assistive listening devices available
  • Front entrance ramp
  • Grab bar near toilet
  • Toilet grab bar height (centimetres): 84
  • Step-free path to entrance
  • Tile flooring in room
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • 2 on-site accessible parking spaces
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • Beach towels
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Bed sheets
  • Ceiling fan
  • Pillow-top mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Dressing gowns
  • Free toiletries
  • Hairdryer (on request)
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels

Entertainment

  • 47-inch flat-screen TV
  • Digital channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Microwave
  • Fridge

More

  • Free local calls
  • Guidebooks/recommendations
  • In-room massage
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Slippers

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

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

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

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

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

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

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
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
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

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 31 out of 41 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 41 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 41 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 41 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 41 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
If you’re looking for a relaxing get away this is going to be your place. Perfect location and the drinks are great. Property was very nice, clean, and beautiful.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Michelle

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Darlene

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was lovely as was the staff. The only downside was the room was very small.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Johnathan

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anita

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Kipley

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
No option to check-in early, or leave luggage. Staff not the accommodating.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
This is a cool, super well-appointed boutique Inn. Great people, immaculate property, tasty food. Highly recommend.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a very nice upscale boutique hotel. Great views of the ocean on their patio rooms. The staff was amazing and extremely helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Casie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exceptional Service
I’ve stayed at several of the hotels in the area and this one is by far my favorite. It’s been so long since I’ve experienced customer service that I almost forgot it was a thing. The staff here truly care and go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. It’s nice to see a hotel so clean! Hunter made me feel so welcome from the second I walked in. The bartender was attentive and quick and I even had a server check in on me while my drink was being poured to make sure I had been helped. Everyone is friendly and actually smiles! The other guests were all quiet and respectful. If you stay here you’ll want to park your car behind the building, then walk to the lobby which is in the little building with the bikes parked beside it. The bar and restaurant can also be accessed through there. Definitely go ahead and book it!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Debora

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jared

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
El Caminante was such a great find! We enjoyed our stay and the bar very much.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lynne

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff, adorable boutique hotel/motel. Well appointed. Small rooms but well thought out. Situated between Capo and Dana Harbor. Would definitely go again.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Marina

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
felt so spoiled staying here, though we checked in late around 10:30 still felt it was very much worth every penny. The cool gadgets we could use complimentary was a surprising perk. The detail to the hotel was insane - finally not a hotel that a big company slaps a name on and charges high room rates for a room that feels subpar and honestly less nice than my own bedroom. It was a quaint room but so fun to walk around and see all the attention to details and unique things they did. I’m already bugging my partner to come back and want my entire family to experience it! Thanks to the staff for being so friendly 10 to the team
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

sherwin

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Lisa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Construction on the beach was noisy and woke us up at 6:30 AM
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jesse

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice and quite property. Staff was very nice and answered any questions we had. Room was very nice. The view was amazing. The bar at the entrance was a plus!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Thomas

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
not enough parking lots, bed side left counter was broken, shower water leeks from the glass front door , their restaurant is very good !
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ronnie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cherry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great property!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

6/10 Okay

Jennifer

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice set up and walkable to restaurants and beach access. I also liked that there was a bar right in the hotel. Room had a nice patio however the room itself was super tiny. The bed is right in the center just with enough room to walk to the bathroom and door. There is no closet or any drawers to put your stuff away. Had some issues checking in after my stay got canceled and rescheduled due to the hotel not being ready. Was told there was a 150$ “hold” even tho there was no note of that. It said 2 free drinks per stay but when we asked they had no idea what we were talking about and they offered us a drink of their choice. Overall a cute place with lots of nice details but seems a bit overpriced.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024