La Oculta Lodge — Hotel in Antioquia

The journey to get here gives you an idea of what is special about this place.||||From Medellin, it's a three hour or so bus ride (depending on traffic) to La Pintada, a tranquil town on the river Pintada. From there, the owner Mario picked us up in his 4x4, and we headed straight up a hillside across pot-holled dirt roads for probably an hour or so, until we arrived at his stunning, remote finca overlooking the valley. I imagine in wet season this would be quite a challenge.||||There is space for no more than about half a dozen guests, which adds to the feeling of splendid isolation.||||The rooms are simple but totally comfortable, and we spent our days swimming or paddling on a boat in the small lake besides the property, or going on walks further up the valley, past cow pastures and pig farms and stunning old country houses. ||||Most of all, we just sat and read and looked on in awe at the view. The property is amazingly placed to catch the birdlife around. Bring binoculars and you will see, amongst many dozens of species, parrots sweeping into and out of trees in their hundreds, or birds of prey surveying the land from their perch on long-dead, dried out tree branches. At night, we were awoken by the rustling on our roof of an opossum.||||The food is homely and delicious. Arepas for breakfast with home made hot chocolate, delicious soup and simple but tasty meat dishes for dinner. The cook was like a mother to us for the five nights we stayed. Every morning she would also take out fruit into the garden to attract the stunningly coloured birds to the property.||||If you are looking for a chill place with a stunning view and surrounded by nature, this place is...

I have been working and travelling around Colombia for 4 years and La Oculta tops my list for an utterly peaceful retreat, surrounded by nature and with a continually-fascinating history. The lodge is located seemingly on the top of the world and has panoramic views of stunning mountains that tower above the winding Cauca River. On the opposite side of the lodge is situated the spellbinding river. I got to row a boat along the tranquil waters while adoring the swopping and fluttering birds (the amount of hummingbirds is amazing) As well as being aesthetically perfect, this lake is also steeped in history and literature as it was featured prominently in the book La Oculta by Hector Abad – Mario’s (the owner) cousin. In fact, ask Mario about the history of the farm and he will tell you stories worthy of a novel itself. On top of the unbelievable surroundings, Mario and his team have built the lodge to a high standard, though it still maintains its traditional Antioquian home feel. The staff are all super friendly and the cook serves up delicious local food cooked to perfection. Finally, an arepa cooked to a crispy delight! In truth, I can’t wait to go back there and the only negative is that this place makes the city so much less appealing. Thank...

La Oculta is on a mountainside overlooking the valley of La Pintada - possibly the most beautiful area in Colombia. The grounds are incredible, with flowering plants and fruit trees that attract an abundance of butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds. The views are peaceful and breathtaking. The weather is perfect - warm and breezy but not hot. The lodge has only three guest cabañas, so you get the sense of staying in a beautiful private garden rather than a hotel. Service is attentive and friendly. And the food is way above the standard you normally receive in the Colombian countryside. This is the absolute perfect getaway if you want to enjoy the serenity of nature and the best views Colombia...