Most would agree – there’s something glamorous about arriving at a hotel by speedboat, whether it’s a glittering five-star property or a tented camp.
So a thrilling start to a stay at Casa en el Agua in Colombia’s San Bernardo archipelago in the Caribbean Sea is guaranteed – because the only way to reach this hostel is by boat.
As its Spanish name, meaning ‘House on Water’, suggests, it is surrounded by water.
The 30-year-old wooden house sits on a concrete foundation and was once a holiday home. And despite its outlying location – it’s a two-hour ride away from Cartagena, the nearest city – it attracts backpackers from across the globe.
Casa en el Agua – a stunning hostel in Colombia’s San Bernardo archipelago that’s reachable only by boat
Despite its outlying location – it’s a two-hour speedboat ride away from Cartagena, the nearest city – it attracts backpackers from across the globe
To get there, visitors can choose between a two or five-hour transfer from Cartagena.
The solar-powered eco-friendly hostel offers various rooms, from an eight-bed dorm to private king and queen-sized 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’re told, have ‘the best view in the house’.
There’s no Wi-Fi or running water, and the toilets are compost. To shower, guests must use buckets of fresh water.
Speaking to MailOnline Travel, the hostel’s general manager, Ronaldo Hurtado, says it is a ‘perfect’ year-round getaway. He claims: ‘It is always sunny and the Caribbean water is always warm.’
The 30-year-old wooden house sits on a concrete foundation and was once a holiday home
Guests can swim in the clear Caribbean waters that surround the hostel
Alongside its location, he says the people at the hostel make it so unique.
‘They create such a family environment that, as soon as you get to the house, you feel this energy and that’s the beginning of the amazing time you’ll have with us,’ Ronaldo says.
As if the location wasn’t fascinating enough, guests can partake in various exhilarating tours, from snorkelling around the coral reef to travelling to nearby islands Tintipan, Múcura and Santa Cruz del Islote – the most densely populated island on earth.
Thrillseekers, meanwhile, can ‘fly underwater’ on a ‘subwing’ tour. Participants are towed through the water by a speedboat while holding on to ‘wings’, enabling them to ‘experience the crystal clear sea from a completely new perspective’.
Tours and activities available from the hostel include snorkelling and island hopping
General manager Ronaldo Hurtado says the hostel’s people are what makes it so unique, with the staff working hard to create a ‘family environment’, particularly at meal times
The hostel also offers plankton sighting tours, where guests swim among the bioluminescent creatures in the moonlight.
Back at base, guests can tuck into fresh food, caught daily – including octopus, fish and crab.
And while 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, coupled with a claim for the ‘best hangover cure in South America’ – a bed-to-sea dive from the first-floor deck.
Sharing some tips to first-time visitors, Ronaldo says: ‘Wear fresh cotton clothing, a bathing suit, pants and a long-sleeved shirt to protect the skin from insects and branches that can cause minor injuries, and from the sun.’
The hostel claims to have ‘the best hangover cure in South America’ – diving straight out of bed into the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea
The hostel has several rooms, from an eight-bed dorm to queen and king-sized beds. It offers freshly caught food and an ‘all-day-everyday’ happy hour at the bar
He advises guests to bring reusable and environmentally-friendly products to the eco-friendly hotel.
He says: ‘You will not only 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 on Tripadvisor, with many hailing it as a ‘literal paradise’ and a must-see when in Colombia.
To book a trip to Casa en el Agua visit its website casaenelagua.com.
