Bathe in Sunshine and Sleep Under the Stars in This Breathtaking Floating Hostel
Casa en el Agua is a truly unique and magical Colombian hostel – an old wooden house built on an underwater foundation in the Caribbean Sea, the hostel is basically its own private island; a floating traveller’s paradise surrounded by nothing but sparkling blue waters, coral reefs, and Caribbean islands. So welcome to Casa en el Agua, the most unique hostel in Colombia…
An eco-hostel located in the San Bernando Islands – a stunning archipelago of around 10 islands in the Colombian Caribbean – Casa en el Agua is also situated in the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park, making conservation and eco-friendly facilities an essential part of the hostel’s philosophy. It’s not a big place: the floating house is two storeys high and consists of an open common room, a bar and restaurant, several private rooms and dorms, and a hammock sleeping area. With space for a maximum of 35 people – there’s an eight bed dorm and 15 hammocks for people on a budget, and four different private rooms as well – it can get a little cramped when it’s full, but the Robinson Crusoe vibe is all part of the magical experience of spending a few nights there.
Food and drink are also available at Casa en el Agua. There’s an excellent restaurant (guests can bring their own snacks, but the kitchen and fridge are off-limits to guests due to limited space) which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and special dishes such as fresh lobster and ceviche. Prices are naturally higher than on the mainland, but a catch-of-the-day fish dinner will still only set you back US$10 (€8): hardly a bad price for the freshest fish you’ll eat in just about the most beautiful setting! The bar is one of the hostel’s many highlights: with excellent cocktails, cold beers, and fresh fruit juices, there are plenty of choices regardless of your taste in drinks.
Getting to the hostel is easy enough: there are daily departures for the hostel from Cartagena on a boat that takes two hours each way and costs 100.000 COP (around US$35), or you can take a boat from either Tolu or Rincon del Mar, two seafront towns located further west along the Caribbean coast from Cartagena. There’s also an additional fee of 15.500 COP for your entry into a National Park. You can find detailed itineraries on how to visit on the Casa en el Agua website.
In short, Casa en el Agua is easily one of the most innovative and unique hostels you are likely to come across in Colombia, or even South America. How many other hostels are there where you can wake up with a hangover from one too many delicious Pina Coladas and simply walk to the edge of the room and fling yourself into the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea!? Well, at Casa en el Agua you can!
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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