Reserva Natural El Dorado — Attraction in Magdalena

My husband and I spent 3 nights here in January/23. As much as you’ve read about the state of the road leading up to the lodge and further up the mountain, nothing can prepare you for this continually bone jarring ride. Be prepared to be knocked around a lot.

The Lodge itself needs some serious TLC. Our room was in the building just below the lodge and was one level above camping. The toilet leaked from its base; there wasn’t even a fan to keep the air moving. Our room was not serviced once during our stay.

Meals are provided but again, the food was very disappointing and I’m being kind here. Overcooked fish and white rice seemed to be the default menu at dinner. There is really no excuse for such terrible food. It’s not like good ingredients aren’t available. As bad as the road is, there were 4 wheel dives and motorcycles going up and down at all hours. We didn’t expect gourmet but this was the worst food we have ever been served at any ecolodge we’ve visited, even ones that are far more remote than this.

The birding around the lodge and up the mountain was very good. Trails are well maintained and the hummingbird feeders were a continuous source of amusement. Our guide was excellent.

There are other accommodations available near El Dorado and I would advise anyone considering traveling to this area to research them before booking El Dorado. I realize Las Aves is a non profit but wow… talk about doing the...

We stayed in two lodges for 3 nights. The views are stunning and there are accessible beautiful hikes. It is so peaceful and we loved having a couple of beers and watching the Sunset. A great place to chill out and be one with nature.

The lodges could do with some TLC. Our sheets were stained with rust, which we mentioned to the staff and there were lots of insects. The rooms were not cleaned once during our stay which contributed to the insect problem. Electricity and hot water is very intermittent.

Our main issue is with the food which was very underwhelming. Obviously with road access to the lodge being so difficult you have no choice but to eat all your meals at the hotel restaurant. It was very expensive by Colombian standards at 80000 COP (£16!!!) for dinner, 75000 COP for lunch and 25000 COP for breakfast per person. There was no choice and each meal was a set menu. The food was bland, often over cooked and very simple. One meal was a chicken soup served with rice which would have been inedible if we weren't extremely hungry from the meagre portions.

Overall this place has a lot of potential but I fear for it's future if they don't look after the lodges and...

It's paradise on earth and an outstanding location of the last frontier away from civilization. All the luxury in the middle of nowhere, like a mountain oasis. Fred the manager is amazingly service focused. Jorhae is also pretty good and took care of our heavy luggage through tough steps to the cabin. Great food, vegetarian and food preferences were accommodated. The rest is nature at its most pristine. Clouds on your feet, hummingbirds in your front yard and views of the Caribbean ocean on the right and snow capped mountains to your left. Our best Christmas...