Casa en el Agua, Colombia: Everything you Need to Know

Whilst planning our trip to South America we spent hours aimlessly scrolling through Instagram trying to find must-see spots to visit when we stumbled upon a photo from the incredible Casa en el Agua hostel. With a vague recollection of a friend recommending the house on the water to us years ago, we knew that when we reached Colombia we simply had to visit!

You might be wondering what is the House on the water? How do I get there? And, how much does the incredible experience of staying in the Casa en el Aqua hostel cost? Well, if you are wondering or planning a trip here, read on and we’ll explain all.

Looking for another unique experience in Central/ South America? Check out the San Blas islands. Our favourite spot in South America!

What is Casa en el Agua?

Casa en el Agua is an eco-hostel located in the San Bernardo Islands off the coast of Cartagena. The archipelago has ten tiny islands dotted with white sand beaches all surrounded by the crystal clear Caribbean ocean. The hostel itself is technically an island, as it sits by itself and you can literally jump right into the ocean off the hostel. Casa en el Agua is part of the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park

The hostel isn’t massive. It’s two stories high; the bottom floor is an open, common space with tables, chairs, and sun loungers, as well as the kitchen and bar. The second floor is for the private rooms, dorms and hammocks to sleep on.

As Casa en el Agua is an eco-hostel they are big on their recycling and separate all the waste for easy recycling. There’s no running water so you take a shower by using a bucket of freshwater. Each person is allowed one per day whilst staying at Casa en el Agua hostel. And if we are honest we just skipped this and went for a swim instead. Really getting into that island life!

How do I get to Casa en el Agua?

There is only one way to get to the eco-hotel and that’s via a speedboat. They run every day and leave at 9 am. The boats are run through Case en el Agua partner company; ‘Tranq it easy’. You must book your boat beforehand and it costs $70 return per person. It’s not cheap but the whole experience, in our eyes, is worth it.

You can only bring a small bag (up to 8kg) on the boat, so leave your big bags in your hostel. They seem pretty used to this in Cartagena so it wasn’t a problem for us. The hostel we stayed at in Cartagena was Republica Hostel Cartagena and they were completely fine with this. We would also completely recommend this hostel for your stay in Cartagena. If you are looking for other hostels in Cartagena.

From a lot of research online (trying to find a cheaper way to get to the Casa en el Agua hostel) we did discover a local boat that left from around a 2-hour drive outside Cartagena. However, this doesn’t technically stop at Casa en el Agua so you would have to ask them to make a drop-off. All the guests for the night usually arrive all together as well and get shown around and a welcome drink and snack so if you were to arrive separately you would miss out on all of this.

How much does it cost to visit Casa en el Agua?

Prices vary depending on the type of room you book and the season. There is a range of options including hammocks, dorms and private rooms within Casa en el Agua. Some with a view, some without. We booked a private with a sea view which cost us £80 for both of us per night. This includes 3 meals per day, water and coffee. We didn’t think that this was too bad for a unique experience.

If you are on more of a budget then there are also hammocks and dorm rooms which you can opt for, these are naturally quite a bit cheaper and a great way to keep the overall cost down. It is worth noting that the hammocks are completely outside and open to the elements so bring a jacket or extra blanket if you plan on going for this option.

You can browse the prices and types of rooms here before making your Casa en el Agua booking. However, you have to email raizalcasaescuela@gmail.com to book your trip. Payment is taken via PayPal which seems a bit odd but, that’s just how they have always run their business.

What do I do there?

RELAX! There aren’t a ton of things to do in Casa en el Aqua so taking some time to relax and enjoy the incredible scenery is the best way to spend your time, take lots of books and sunscreen and be prepared to be horizontal for a lot of your time here.

There is one trip that you can take from Casa en el Aqua over to a local island which is included (you just pay a tip of 7000) other than that you can hire kayaks, or paddleboards or go on a boat trip to the nearest beach at an additional cost.

We opted to take the boat to the beach on the morning of our second full day. When we first arrived the beaches were empty except for beach chairs, just as you’d picture a tropical paradise. Within 10 minutes hoards of tourists descended on the beach making it pretty busy.

We spent the morning swimming, reading and relaxing before getting on our little boat back to Casa en el Aqua, just in time for lunch.

Overall; we spent a lot of time swimming, sunbathing and reading during our time here. There’s no WIFI so be prepared to be disconnected for a few days.

How long should you stay?

When planning our Casa en el Agua booking we got a bit over-excited and booked to stay in the hostel for 3 nights but found this far too long. 1 or 2 nights would be plenty. Casa en el Agua, depending on who is staying that night, can become a bit of a party hostel. Naturally, the walls aren’t particularly soundproof so be prepared to not get the best night’s sleep every night. The first and second nights were quiet for us so it was only the third when we were really kept awake and by this point, we were a little over it.

What’s the shower and toilet situation?

You’re allowed one fresh water bucket shower per day in the evening between 6-9 pm. But, as we have already mentioned we became fully invested in the island life and forgoed our shower for a dip ocean instead. The toilets are non-flushing ones. You pee in one part of the toilet and poop in the other, then cover it with sawdust. Casa en el Aqua toilets really do take you back to basics! The toilets actually weren’t that bad considering; the sawdust takes away any smells that may occur (the glamorous life of a traveller eh).

Top tip: Be sure to bring cash!

They do not take credit or debit cards on Casa en el Aqua. Everything you order is written down on a sign-up sheet to save you from having to carry cash with you at all times. They keep track by adding up everyone’s spending at the end of each day and you pay when you check out.

It’s best to keep your own record of what you eat and drink so there are no surprises at the end, we also noticed that they got a few people’s bills wrong so it’s best to have an idea of what you have ordered. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally pay for someone else’s drinks.

What will I need cash for if everything is included?

There is a bar on Casa en el Agua where you can buy beers, cocktails, fresh fruit juices and extra snacks such as empanadas. They are all reasonably priced, although, as to be expected, more than you would pay on the mainland. There was also a happy hour every day where you could get 241 cocktails. You aren’t allowed to bring your own booze with you although some people did and hid it in their rooms, resulting in very warm, but cheap, beers!

Would you like to stay at Casa en el Agua? Have you been there? We would love to hear all about your experience in the comments below!