Daniel, 16, an orphan, lives with his grandmother on Chira Island, in Costa Rica. Seeing no future in this poor and isolated place and curious about his origins, Daniel decides to find his godfather, Miguel Angel, in Puntarenas, the country's main city. Daniel begins his quest at the hotel where his mother used to work, but he is received coldly by the owner of the place, Chico, who informs him that his godfather had died a while back. After an initial refusal, Chico offers Daniel a job along with strict marching orders. At the hotel, Daniel meets Soledad, a 17-year-old single mother who maintains the hotel's kitchen, and before long the two have begun a relationship.