Colombia Campgrounds and Hotels

This article is part of our Accommodation Listing series.

Download the Google Earth KMZ of our Colombia route and lodgings.

Casa Tatis (Hostel)

http://www.casatatis.com/
Cartagena
GPS: N10 25.220 W75 32.713
Cost: COP$100,000 for a triple with AC
Date we stayed: June 16, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: No, but secured lots nearby

Notes: A reasonably-priced hostel in the Getsemani neighborhood of Cartagena. Has private rooms with AC. Breakfast included.

Hotel San Roque (Hostel)

http://www.sanroquehostel.com/
Cartagena
GPS: N10 25.335 W75 32.703
Cost: COP$90,000 for a triple with AC
Date we stayed: June 17, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: No, but secured lots nearby

Notes: We were referred to this hostel because Casa Tatis didn't have a room for more than one night. The kitchen is very small, but the rooms have AC, are relatively cheap and breakfast is included. They will cut you a deal if you stay three or more nights.

Camping Castilletes (Campground)

Tayrona National Park
http://campingcastilletespnntayrona.blogspot.com/
GPS: N11 18.325 W73 54.988
Cost: COP$40,000 for three people per night, plus COP$35,000 per person for a one-time park entrance fee and COP$7,000 per day for the car.
Date we stayed: June 22, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: No
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes, a short walk from the beach camping area

Notes: A (usually) quiet place to camp on the beach in Tayrona. Water is not drinkable, but the restaurant sells simple meals and drinks. Friendly owners. Not safe to swim on the beach most times of the year. Trails to the more popular swimming and snorkeling beaches start nearby, or they can be reached by car in several minutes. A bit pricey considering the park fees on top of the cost to camp. If you are sleeping in your car, note that you cannot drive to the palapa beach area, you'll have to park in the back near the restaurant.

Sans Souci (Hostel with Camping Area)

Minca
GPS: N11 08.670 W74 06.687
Cost: COP$10,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: June 25, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: No
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: Located about a mile above Minca. Beautiful view, pool, great common area, kitchen, and place to cook and grill outside. Excellent place to bird watch, lots of toucans in the morning. The parking lot is very small. If you sleep in your vehicle it may be a bit crowded.

Hotel Villa Esther (Hostel)

Taganga
http://www.hostalvillaesther.com/
GPS: N11 16.044 W74 11.313
Cost: COP$75,000 for a triple with fans
Date we stayed: June 26, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: A nice, quiet place to stay in Taganga. Great kitchen and friendly owner. Rooms with AC available. Nice open courtyard with tables, chairs and fans.

La Hosteria Del Viajero (Hotel)

Aguachica
GPS: N8 18.695 W73 36.587
Cost: COP$70,000 for a triple with AC
Date we stayed: June 27, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes, next door
Parking: Yes, at car wash next door, included in price

Notes: A good midway stop between the north coast and central highlands. Restaurant next door serves a decent and cheap breakfast. Rooms with AC available.

Hotel Posada Campestre (Hotel with Camping Area)

http://www.hotelposadacampestre.com/
San Gil
GPS: N6 32.356" W73 7.614
Cost: COP$10,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: June 28, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Looks great on paper - pool with swim up bar, camping next to a river, free coffee, small kitchen, but it's a horrible place to camp, especially on the weekend. Incredibly noisy at night, unresponsive staff and a long uphill walk from the camping area to the parking lot. A terrible place to put tent camping facilities.

No Name Cabanas (Hotel)

San Gil
GPS: N6 32.685 W73 9.900
Cost: COP$150,000 for a triple
Date we stayed: June 30, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Wifi
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: We moved to these cabins shortly after a sleepless night Hotel Posada Campestre. Nestled between two large river-front hotels, it was a good place to catch up on sleep. The very friendly owner brought us coffee every morning.

Hostal Renecer (Hostal with Camping Area)

http://colombianhighlands.com/
Villa de Leyva
GPS: N5 38.189 W73 30.828
Cost: COP$10,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: July 2, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: AKA Colombian Highlands - this is a fantastic place to stay and probably the best hostal we visited to date. Plenty to do, lots of space, great facilities and a quiet camping area. First hot shower we'd had in months and our first experience with an honor-system beer fridge. There are several nice grassy areas where you can park if you sleep in your car.

Finca Monticello (Hostel with Campground)

Guatavita
GPS: N4 56.280 W73 49.588
Cost: COP$15,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: July 5, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: No
Kitchen: No(?)
Restaurant: No
Parking: Yes

Notes: A quaint place in a quaint town. As usually, very friendly owner who made us feel right at home. Quiet campgrounds in front or behind the property. Areas for grilling and campfires.

La Serrana (Hostel) UPDATE: NO CAMPING!

http://www.laserrana.com.co/
Salento
GPS: N4 37.804 W75 34.858
Cost: COP$10,000 per person, per night for camping
Date we stayed: July 6, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

As of July 2014, La Serrana does NOT allow camping. 

Notes: A beautiful location about 10 minutes walk from Salento. All the facilities one could hope for. Excellent private rooms and dorms are also available. Breakfast of eggs and toast is included, more options are available for a small fee. A set dinner is served at the restaurant each night. One of the best spots so far. 

La Casa Colombiana (Hostel with Camping Area) - CLOSED! SEE URL BELOW FOR INFO ON OWNERS NEW HOSTEL

Update January 2013: As we mentioned below the owner of this hostel was planning to relocate to a new place. This hostel is now closed and there is a new Casa Colombiana open in San Rafael de Antioquia. More information is available on their new website.

http://www.lacasacolombiana.com/
Santa Elena, Near Medellin
GPS: N6 12.627 W75 30.185 (THIS LOCATION IS CLOSED)
Cost: $6,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: July 12, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: A very chill hostel with cheap camping run by a super-friendly German expat. Dorms and private rooms with a great view are available upstairs. On-site cooks can make meals on request, snacks are always available. Nice kitchen and areas to grill outside and inside. Honor system beer cooler and a Colombian-style pool table. The owner plans to move to a new and improved location within the next year.

La Hacienda Venecia (Hostel with Camping Area)

http://www.haciendavenecia.com/indexe.html
Manizales
GPS: N5 2.28 W75 33.819
Cost: COP$15,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: July 23, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes, but was a single 3G modem that did not work very well
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes

Notes: A very relaxing guesthouse with great camping spots along a river running through a coffee farm. Very helpful management. A great pool with hammock-lined patio for chilling. Restaurant serves set meals for a small fee and coffee, rum and beers are for sale. Espresso machine, coffee roaster and a fresh supply of beans grown on-site are free to guests. Grill available for use outside. The road in can be a bit bumpy, 4x4 required if you come from the south as the road is washed out into the river.

La Casa Cafe (Hostel)

http://www.lacasacafecali.blogspot.com/
Cali
GPS: N3 26.857 W76 32.348
Cost: COP$30,000 for a single
Date we stayed: July 26, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: No, parking on the street is not recommended

Notes: A simple and cheap hostel to stay at in Cali. Kitchen isn't the best, but the restaurant is decent. Beds are harder than your average patch of dirt and grass. Dorms and private rooms available but no AC.

Reserva Ambiental La Castellana (Hostel with Camping Area)

Pance
GPS: N3 20.045 W76 38.374
Cost: $10,000 per person to camp
Date we stayed: July 27, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Cold
Electricity: Yes
Internet: No (But coming soon!)
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes

Notes: Another top pick on our trip. Friendliest owners on the planet. On the road to Pance there are dozens of places to camp, but you should hold out until the end of the road for this gem. All the facilities but internet, and the owners plan to add that very soon. Beautiful property, tons of space to spread out. Areas to grill, watch TV, hang out, go for a swim and fish.

HostelTrail.com

http://www.hosteltrail.com/cities/popayan/
Popayan
GPS: N2 26.618 W76 36.607
Cost: COP$63,000 for a private triple with bathroom
Date we stayed: July 29, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: No, two secured parking lots within a block

Notes: A decent hostel, part of a larger network of hostels, in Popayan. All of the facilities you would expect from a downtown hostel in a central location. TV room, good kitchen and a couple common areas for hanging out. Rooms on the street are very noisy.

Hotel Americana

Pasto
GPS: N1 12.690 W77 16.758
Cost: COP$100,000 for a triple
Date we stayed: July 29, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: Yes
Kitchen: Yes
Restaurant: No
Parking: No, secured parking lot within a block

Notes: When we drove through Pasto a large stretch of roads were closed. We ended up at this place largely out of convenience and because we couldn't find the two places we knew about. Decent room, hot showers, can't complain. Breakfast can be included for a small extra fee, but there are many panderias nearby, so better to save your money.

No Name Hotel

Santuario de las Lajas
GPS: N0 48.38 W77 34.974
Cost: COP$30,000 for a triple
Date we stayed: July 29, 2012

Water & Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Hot
Electricity: Yes
Internet: No
Kitchen: No
Restaurant: Yes
Parking: Yes, lot in front is guarded at night

Notes: A very simple place at the end of the main parking where the trails lead down to the church, next to the internet cafe. We ended up here because it was cheaper than camping. There are a few other hotels in the area that were cheaper than what we found in Ipiales. A good place to stay before crossing the border as it's only a 15 minute drive to Ecuador.

Comments

 

#3 Jessica_LifeRemotely 2013-01-03 21:41

Hey Brenton. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know La Casa Caolombiana is now closed. We knew the owner was relocating, but we thought that wasn't going to happen for another 6 months. Anyway, thanks again for the update. I will update the articles accordingly.

 

 

#2 Brenton 2012-12-28 17:42

FYI: La Casa Colombiana (Santa Elena/Medellin) has officially shut down or relocated...we cruised by and it was a ghost town with a for sale sign.

We found Uchuva Lounge nearby, up the road to Parque Arvi. Beautiful location with easy access to catch a gondola ride into Medellin. www.uchuvalounge.com. They only charged us 10mil COP a night, with tons of amenities and wifi. Great restaurant onsite with nice cabañas for rent. GPS: N 06°13.840 W075°29.584 They will be selling the restaurant back to the bank soon because business is too slow, but you can email Sylvia at infouchuvalounge.com and she'll take care of you. Says she wants to open a campground once the restaurant is sold. Sweet lady with a great sense of humor!

 

 

#1 Cesar 2012-08-22 04:18

Rest assured your efforts are not going to waste... this is great info that we will put to good use. Thanks again.

 

This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment.

JComments