CASA LOMA HOSTEL
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Date of Stay: August 2014 Room Types:
* All prices quoted were correct during our stay and may be subject to change |
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The two young expat owners of Casa Loma have created a unique, cozy and very natural place where guests can really enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the little township of Minca.
Minca is a luscious green, bushy village around 1 hour from Santa Marta on Colombia’s north coast. Minca is surrounded by rivers, waterfalls and endless hiking trails and while the village is only small, it provides everything you could need for a short stay. Minca’s location, in the middle of a thick forest in the hills also makes the area much cooler than nearby Santa Marta.
Minca is a luscious green, bushy village around 1 hour from Santa Marta on Colombia’s north coast. Minca is surrounded by rivers, waterfalls and endless hiking trails and while the village is only small, it provides everything you could need for a short stay. Minca’s location, in the middle of a thick forest in the hills also makes the area much cooler than nearby Santa Marta.
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Casa Loma is built on a steep hill and is only accessible by walking the rocky staircase up to the top. While this would deter some people (as it is not a particularly pleasant experience lugging bags up the stairs in the heat of the day), it also attracts just the right type of people. The complete feeling of seclusion - assisted by the property being a wifi free zone – is what attracted us to Casa Loma and the view out over the nearby bushland, all the way to Santa Marta on the coast is simply breathtaking.
The Casa Loma website describes this room as a “Tree House” which I had also read in both Lonely Planet and local tourist agencies in Colombia. While our room was not exactly what I was expecting from a “Tree House”, all of the buildings are built in a way that compliments the natural surroundings and the wide variety of room types to choose from provides each guest with their own unique space according to their budget and desires. The different options range from a cozy dormitory room, to hammocks underneath the treehouse as well as various private double rooms and the option of camping. After looking at the wide variety of rooms, we decided to go with the Tree House. While it was more expensive than most of the other options, and I was a little bit disappointed in it not being my typical idea of a Tree House, we had come to Casa Loma for this unique experience so decided to stay for one night. |
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The room was much bigger than we were expecting and had everything we needed for a short or long stay. There was a nice big mosquito net over our bed, however we didn't find the insects too bad during our stay. The cute little balcony complete with hammock and rocking chair was a nice touch and provided a great little spot to watch the sunset or enjoy an afternoon beer. All room types at Casa Loma share bathrooms and there are various shower and toilet blocks around the property so that wherever you are staying, there is an option nearby. The showers have intermitted hot water, which is better earlier in the day, but can be quite cold towards the afternoon. The communal areas were all very inviting, filled with a variety of chairs, beanbags, hammocks and stools, and besides the sleeping backpackers everywhere, it was a cool little area. There was also a kitchen with a small but good menu for breakfast and lunch, however compared to normal town prices it was on the pricey side. Only one meal option was cooked at dinner and orders needed to be placed earlier in the day so they could ensure that enough food was cooked for everyone. |
Overall, Casa Loma definitely gave us the unique experience we were after and we were really pleased we made the decision to visit Minca even if it was only for one night. Minca is a quaint and peaceful town with some great natural features in the surrounding area and Casa Loma is the perfect place to stay if you are willing to do the hard work to get up there!
You can read more about out time in Minca in our blog “Marvellous Mountainous Minca”
