Most would agree: there’s something glamorous about arriving at a hotel by speedboat, whether it’s a gleaming five-star property or a tented camp.
So an exciting start to a stay at Casa en el Agua on the Colombian archipelago of San Bernardo in the Caribbean Sea is guaranteed, because the only way to get to this lodge is by boat.
As its Spanish name, meaning “House on Water,” suggests, it is surrounded by water.
This 30-year-old wooden house sits on a concrete foundation and was formerly a holiday home. And despite its peripheral location (it’s two hours from Cartagena, the nearest city), it attracts backpackers from all over the world.
Casa en el Agua: a stunning lodge in Colombia’s San Bernardo archipelago that can only be reached by boat
Despite its peripheral location (it’s a two-hour speedboat ride from Cartagena, the nearest city), it attracts backpackers from all over the world.
To get there, visitors can choose between two or five hour transfer from Cartagena.
This solar-powered eco-lodge offers various rooms, from an eight-bed dorm to private king and queen beds, with prices starting at 365,000 Colombian pesos (£75/$94) per night.
As a cheaper alternative, guests can sleep in a hammock for 287,000 COP (£59/$74) per night. These, we are told, have “the best view in the house.”
There is no Wi-Fi or running water and the bathrooms are paid for. To shower, guests must use buckets of fresh water.
Speaking to MailOnline Travel, the hostel’s general manager, Ronaldo Hurtado, says it’s a “perfect” year-round getaway. He states, “It’s always sunny and the Caribbean water is always warm.”
This 30-year-old wooden house sits on a concrete foundation and was once a vacation home.
Guests can swim in the clear Caribbean waters that surround the lodge.
In addition to its location, he says the people at the shelter make it unique.
“They create such a family atmosphere that as soon as you get home you feel this energy and that is the beginning of the wonderful time you will spend with us,” says Ronaldo.
If the location isn’t fascinating enough, guests can take part in various tours, from snorkeling around the coral reef to traveling to the nearby islands Tintipan, Múcura and Santa Cruz del Islote, the most densely populated island in the world.
Meanwhile, thrill-seekers can “fly underwater” on a subwing tour. Participants are towed through the water in a speedboat by holding onto their “wings,” allowing them to “experience the crystal-clear sea from a completely new perspective.”
Tours and activities available at the lodge include snorkeling and island visits.
General manager Ronaldo Hurtado says the people at the hostel are what make it so unique, as the staff works hard to create a “family atmosphere”, especially at meal times.
The lodge also offers plankton-watching tours, where guests swim among bioluminescent creatures in the moonlight.
Back at base, guests can sample fresh foods, caught daily, such as octopus, fish and crab.
And although the hostel has a “don’t bring your own drinks” policy, it’s far from teetotal: there’s a bar with an “all day, every day” happy hour, along with a claim to be the “best cure for The Hangover in South America’: a bed-to-sea dive from the first floor deck.
Ronaldo shares some advice for first-time visitors: “Wear cool cotton clothing, a swimsuit, pants and a long-sleeved shirt to protect your skin from insects and branches that can cause minor injuries, and from the sun.”
The lodge claims to have “the best hangover cure in South America”: dipping straight from your bed into the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean.
The hostel has several rooms, from an eight-bed dorm to queen and king beds. It offers freshly caught food and an all-day happy hour at the bar.
Advises guests to bring reusable and environmentally friendly products to the eco-friendly hotel.
It says: ‘Not only will you enjoy the beauty that nature shares with us, but you will also have the opportunity to learn, raise awareness and act for the preservation and care of the sea and the environment.’
The hostel has a four star rating in tripadvisorand many hail it as a “literal paradise” and a must-see when visiting Colombia.
To book a trip to Casa en el Agua visit their website casaenelagua.com.