The landscape around Hotel Playa was once a very different place. The main pool was filtered saltwater and surrounded by a marshy jungle of trees, shrubs and shady huts with a view of a huge, green lagoon, rich in wildlife.

With the Pacific ocean in the front yard and the lagoon in the backyard, Hotel Playa was almost completely bounded by water.

Now, a main street, shops, offices, and restaurants fill the area where this wild lagoon once thrived.