Picturesque Casa En El Agua Hostel

En El Agua Hostel is an unique experience

Casa en el Agua hostel is an experience you must live! It’s the only hostel in the San Bernardo Islands on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast, where fresh lobster, reggae, and turquoise waters are the sensation. Casa En El Agua Is located right in front of Isla Tintipan, in the San Bernardo Islands. The islands located off Cartagena are less than 45 minutes away by boat – and well worth a visit. To get here, you must take the boat from Rincón del Mar or Tolú.

It is a unique and different hostel. You are surrounded by corals, a crystal clear sea, and a lot of marine life, so it will be the first thing you see when you arrive or wake up. The number of free and paid activities that you can do is one of its biggest attractions: snorkeling, night tour to see plankton (+50k COP), day trips to the beaches of the other islands of the archipelago such as Tintipán and Múcura (between 25 and 40k COP), kayak and paddle board. In addition, there are many board games, perfect for sharing with other guests and making friends, meeting people from all over the World, the true purpose of a hostel like “Casita(Little house).”

If you are looking for a few days of vacation full of partying and dancing, this place is definitely for you. You listen to Caribbean music all day, the bar is always available, and people are willing to celebrate with you.

Some of the outdoor activities to do, of course on the water.

• Paddle Boarding – $20.000 COP 1hr – $50.000 COP 3hr
• Kayaking – $20.000 COP 1hr – $50.000 COP 3hr
• Snorkeling – FREE
• Wakeboard & Disc-Go – $50.000 COP 30min
• Subwing – $50.000 COP 30min

If you are looking for a quiet place to rest while you see the Caribbean sea and relax, this place is not for you.

The experience with the dry toilet is different, but personally, my partner and I find it quite hygienic.

We liked the environmental responsibility that the hostel inspires and the extraordinary cultural exchange breathed into the place.

The hostel provides towels, which is an excellent detail, you have limited water for bathing and at specific times (which they make clear to you from your reservation), and they provide you with biodegradable soap. Still, you can use the one you prefer as well. There is a telephone signal and mobile data at Casa en El Agua.

How to Get to En El Agua Hostel

Getting to Casa en el Agua is easy. Every day there is a 9:00 am “fast” boat that takes the 2-hour journey out to Casa en el Agua from the Muelle de la Bodeguita gate – right outside the Old Town center of Cartagena. It costs 100.000 COP one-way. You can reserve the boat ahead of time online.

The boat back is at 12:00 pm from Casa en el Agua, meaning you’ll arrive back in Cartagena around 2:00 pm. This ticket also costs 100.000 COP. Remember to book your ticket ahead of time or take enough cash with you to purchase the ticket for return.

It’s worth noting that the boats claim you can only take a small bag with you, but no one enforces these rules, so you can take your whole bag if needed, particularly if you are hoping to a few of the San Bernardo Islands while you’re out there!

There is also a slower route to get to Casa en el Agua, but this one takes 5+ hours and is still 85.000 COP, leaving at 8:30 am every day from Tolu. I highly recommend taking the fast boat to Casa en el Agua!

Travel Tip:

• CASH IS KING – As you may understand, the local fisherman don’t have bank accounts.. So please bring enough Pesos Colombianos and we can pay them for the delicious fresh caught seafood on your plate.
• WARM CLOTHES – Although it is generally HOT during the day, evenings can cool down. Therefore, we advise to bring some warmer items along with your Brazilian thong bikini and tight, white, speedos..
• BAGS – Our house is not the biggest mansion in the world so space is limited. We suggest that you leave your bulky Louis V. or backpack on the mainland. And bring MAXIMUM 8 KILO.
• SOLAR POWERRR – We try to rely on solar power as much as possible at the casa and our watt hours are precious. Please charge all your items before you come and be energy conscious with us.
• REPELLENT – Sometimes we even have mosquitos in paradise, so be prepared for these annoying biting creatures and bring some repellent.
• SUNSCREEN – Bring plenty of high SPF, we mean plenty! (plus, tanning oil is so 60’s) Some aftersun or aloe is also recommended.
• NO WIFI, We encourage you to spend a few days screen free – to enjoy the view, live in the moment, read a good book, cool down with a few cervezas and work on your social skills.

Price: 

• Hamock – $160.000 COP
• Dorm – $200.000 COP
• Various Private Rooms – $320.000 – $490.000 COP

Guests’ Reviews

Another hostel in Cartagena on our Top Ten is Life is Good.