Is Ancalá Waterfront restaurant open to the public, and what type of food does Chef Pedro Mosqueda serve?
Yes, Ancalá Waterfront is open to both hotel guests and non-residents. The restaurant serves a premium BBQ menu crafted by Chef Pedro Mosqueda. It is open daily from 11am to 4pm, and guests can arrive by boat or car. For the full menu, please visit https://www.ancala.co/waterfront-menu.
Will you pay my flights?
No.
Can I privatise the whole place?
Without a doubt. Casas Altas is the best staffed and serviced villa in the islands of Cartagena, and it is available to rent out as a villa.
Are there any hidden fees or taxes?
Foreign residents pay no tax on hotel accommodation. For Colombian residents, IVA has already been included. We charge a 20 USD per night resort fee. City hotels are connected to public utilities. On our island, we are not. We generate our own electricity, make our own water, process our own waste and transport absolutely everything here ourselves, from cleaning supplies, food and ice, to you. Nothing here 'just happens', which means that behind the scenes we have built and now operate the equivalent of a small city, so that our guests can experience Tierra Bomba comfortably. The resort fee allows us to transparently separate the room rate from the cost of operating in an off-grid environment. 25% goes directly to our Impact Fund, which supports nonprofit initiatives that mitigate the negative environmental effects of tourism and contribute to local social development.
Can I go into the local village?
You can, and it will blow your mind. Bocachica is a village with no running water and no paved roads, but so much soul you won't believe it. Do not expect chic restaurants and bars. This is island life, dialled up to 100. Is it safe? Yes. But be respectful: leave the diamonds in the safe.
Dietary requirements?
A lot of us have been vegetarian or vegan at some point, and we are proud to have a decent offering for non-meat eaters. We know how many of you are lactose or gluten intolerant, so don't you worry, loads of gluten and dairy free here too (even our locally made Italian gelato). Our kitchen is not kosher or halal.
Who is the chef?
Our kitchen was built by Chef Silvestre Saiz Cortazar, born and trained in Ibiza and raised in the kitchens of Bogota. Pedro Mosqueda has taken over the mantel of Executive Chef, having cut his teeth in some of the best restaurants in New York. We also run a Chef Residency and love to have talent from all over the world spend some time with us and leave their mark.
Do I have to reserve?
It's always a good idea. This is especially true if you would like to come on our boat. Our boat has a limited capacity, and if you're not reserved and there's no space, it's a long wait until the next shuttle.
What about airport transfers?
From the airport to Casas Altas door-to-door is 1 hour. You should leave Casas Altas 3 hours before your flight departure time. We can arrange airport transfers both ways, please contact us.
How do I get there from London?
We can't advise on the cheapest flight routes, however for convenience we do recommend Amsterdam to Cartagena with KLM, or London to Bogota direct with Avianca. From Bogota you can use Avianca, LatAm, Copa or Viva Colombia (low cost) to get to Cartagena. There are around 30 flights a day.
How do I get there? Do you have a boat?
Yes, we do. The journey takes 30 minutes to an hour from Cartagena on our boat.