What we mean by a private villa
We are a villa, not a resort with villas in it. Six bedrooms sit across three houses on a hill above Bahía de Cholón, on Barú Island, and you can book one room, one house, or the whole place. Gustavo Pinto and Simón Vélez designed the buildings in bamboo and timber, which is why the houses are open to the air rather than sealed against it.
That matters when you're comparing us against a listing site. A villa you rent by the night from a platform is usually empty when you arrive. Ours is staffed: concierge service, turn-down each evening, and a kitchen. If you want the place entirely to yourself with nobody else on the property, that's the Full House booking, and it is a genuine buyout rather than a large suite.
The three houses, and who each one suits
Villa Principal, also called Villa Pinto, is the main house at the top of the hill. Three bedrooms, eight guests: one bedroom on the ground floor, two master suites above it joined by a living room. Every bedroom has a king bed, the third adds three singles, and all three open straight onto the villa's own pool. Three private attached bathrooms, so eight people are not negotiating over one. Its three rooms are the Orquidea rooms: Estrella, Cuerno and Fuego. This is the house for a family travelling together.
Casita Veranera is a separate house with two rooms, Rhizo and Avi. Each has a large balcony with a panoramic view over the Ciénaga de Cholón, a swimming pool and a shared rest area. If your group wants to sleep in two distinct buildings rather than two floors, this is the pairing that does it: family in Villa Principal, friends in Casita Veranera.
Casita Laguna stands alone, with a private pool, an outdoor bathroom and its own gazebo looking out over the water. It is the quietest room we have and the one couples ask for by name.
The Full House is all of it. Six bedrooms sleeping up to 14, five with king beds and one with a king plus two singles, each with its own ensuite. You get the private pool, the rooftop terrace over the mangroves, the shared living and dining rooms, and direct access to the water with kayaks. No other guests on the property. We don't host events, we don't take pets, and nobody smokes in the houses.
| Bedrooms | Sleeps | Pool | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Principal (Villa Pinto) | 3 | 8 | Private |
| Casita Veranera | 2 | varies by room | Shared |
| Casita Laguna | 1 | couples | Private |
| Full House (whole property) | 6 | 14 | Private |
Getting here, honestly
We're on an island, so you arrive by water. The crossing from Cartagena takes 30 minutes to an hour on our boat. From Rafael Núñez International Airport to our door is about an hour all in, and we can arrange transfers in both directions if you contact us. Going home, leave us three hours before your flight departs.
Reserve the boat when you reserve the room. Its capacity is limited, and if there's no space on a crossing the wait for the next one is long. This is the single thing guests most often leave to chance, and the one we'd most like you to plan.
Eating here
Our kitchen was built by Chef Silvestre Saiz Cortázar, born and trained in Ibiza and raised in the kitchens of Bogotá. Pedro Mosqueda is now Executive Chef. Tell us before you travel if anyone in your group is vegetarian or vegan, or lactose or gluten intolerant, and we'll plan around it. A number of us have eaten that way ourselves at some point, and we're not precious about it.
There are no shops or restaurants next door to raid, which is the trade you make for a hill, a pool and no neighbours. Come with your preferences declared.
What the water gives you
Kayaks come with the stay, and the mangroves start at the edge of the property. Dawn is when the birds are loudest and the water is flattest, and it is worth being awake for once even if you're here to rest. Sea access is direct but unguarded, so swimming is at your own risk. Our concierge can arrange kayaking, snorkelling or birdwatching outings.
If you want to see how people actually live on Barú, ask about Bocachica. It's a village with no running water and no paved roads, and no chic restaurants or bars either. It has more soul than you'll expect. We'd rather tell you plainly what it is than sell it to you as something else.
Costs to know before you book
Foreign residents pay no tax on hotel accommodation with us. For Colombian residents, IVA is already included in the rate. We charge a resort fee of 20 USD per night. City hotels sit on public utilities; out here we generate what we use, which is what that fee covers.
Our cancellation terms are strict. Check them at the point of booking rather than after, particularly if your plans depend on connecting flights.
Is this the right villa for your group
Take the Full House if you are 10 to 14 people who want nobody else around. Take Villa Principal if you are a family of up to eight and want one roof. Take Casita Laguna if you are two, and you want the gazebo and the quiet. If your group splits naturally in two, book Villa Principal and Casita Veranera together and give each half its own building.
What we are not is a hotel in Cartagena with a pool. Getting here takes a boat, the houses are open to the weather, and nature sets the volume. Guests who know that before they arrive tend to stay longer than they planned.