El Hamaquero Hostal Econativo — Hotel in Bolívar

We chose this hostel as they advertise free snorkel use for the reef in front of the hostel. Indeed, there is a really pretty reef with great snorkelling about 50-100 metres swim out from shore. With no currents this is very easy to swim. However, what we didn't know was that if you want to snorkel more than 10-20 metres from the shore the hostel requires you first hire a kayak at the exorbitant price of 50,000 cop for 2 hours. There is no coral within 10-20 metres of the shore and only a handful of fish can be seen there. Therefore if you want to snorkel and actually see anything you must rent a kayak. We think it is deceptive to say that you offer free snorkel use if you are not allowed to actually use the snorkels without paying for a kayak.

As the reef is so close and there is zero current, we couldn't think of any good reason for this. The so called "reasoning" given was this it makes you more visible to boats. Although, this didn't make sense to us as when you snorkel here you already attach large buoys that offer similar visibility to a kayak.

Not only this, but anyone who has snorkelled before will know that it is not ideal to do it with a kayak tied to you. Not only is it uncomfortable and impedes movement, but it also disruptive and scares away fish.

We weren't surprised to find out that this "rule" doesn't apply to everyone. We woke up one morning to find the hostel owner's son happily snorkelling without a kayak demonstrating to us very clearly that this rule was not put in place for any safety reason or regulation but to find a way to charge you for something you don't need.

But that is the general vibe you get at this hostel Everything, seems to come with an extra charge or be highly overpriced including drinks and food at the restaurant. Even refilling your water bottle is overly expensive.

But you might think, as we did, that to come to an island paradise this is worth it If you come to this hostel imagining an peaceful island paradise, think again. The beach club next door blasts music from 8am until late and loud speedboats constantly pass by.

The hostel markets itself as eco friendly and sustainable but it is obvious that what is solely important to them is your money. We were dismayed to find hostel workers clearing the water in front of the hostel from dead coral, destroying the environment for the fish and crabs that live around the shallows, to make way for a more sandy...

It’s a really nice and friendly hostel with consciousness about the resource usage. The views and access to the sea is really cool: we did snorkeling (I find 20+15 COP quite a fair price for 2 h of exploring the reef) and saw almost all the fishes from the species card at the hostel 😅 the room was clean and tidy but somehow the Moskito net hasn’t protected us that much: we saw 4 🦟 full of blood in the morning inside it but it was not that bad. The stuff was also very helpful with organizing the return boat ride: we could just pay 80 COP during the check-out and all the organizing was done by them. I recommend opting for this, because from the experience of booking the boat ride by ourselves was more stressful (we bought tickets online with Juan Ballena) and we ended up with the guys from Mary Travels (the company that cooperated with Hamaquero hostel) anyway and paying more. Minor difficulty at the hostel is the drinking water: to refill it at the bar you need to ask the stuff, who was not there quite often. So make sure to bring a bigger bottle and not struggle with the smaller ones like we did. The atmosphere overall is very chill there: it allows you to relax but also sometimes it leads to the lack of organization. For the check out we were told initially that it’s 10:30 so we were ready to give away the keys at that time, waiting near the reception and only around 12 we heard from the other guests that today it will be much later at 13. Again, it’s nothing too bad: you can always chill in the hammocks and enjoy the view but the uncertainty and lack of communication made it’s slightly stressful. The food in restaurant is not great (as we learned from other reviews) but if you go swimming the whole day and come back hungry it’s quite good :) drinks were great though.

UPD after 10 h: the place might have bed bugs or other blood sucking insects in the furniture. I discovered a typical ‚bite line‘-patterns right below where the shorts fabric ends in the evening after we left (we slept one night there). I was sitting in the hammocks, chairs with pillows so it might be from there and not necessarily...

We stayed at El Hamaquero for 5 nights and really loved our time there. We arranged our boat transfers with Mary Cartagena travel (COP 90,000 pp each way) who drop off/collect at El Hamaquero. We stayed in a family room which was basic but comfortable with private shower/bathroom, good quality fans, comfortable beds and mosquito nets. The room was cleaned daily with fresh sheets and towels every couple of days. There are about 16 members of staff across bar/restaurant/activities/housekeeping etc and they all seemed to be there every day so you get to know them quickly. They were all so friendly and helpful. A few speak very good English but even as a non-Spanish speaker communication with everyone seemed effortless.

The location was incredible and although there is no sandy beach front, access to the water is easy and the deck is a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the views, especially at sunset (beware the mosquitoes!). The daytime music from Bora Bora never bothered us and overall the ambience at El Hamaquero is quite peaceful. They offer 3 activity trips (snorkelling, mangrove canoe and night time plankton bioluminescence trips) which were well organised and good value. You can also rent kayaks/SUPS for a reasonable price which is a great way to explore the coast a little more.

We really enjoyed the food. There is plenty of variety including good vegetarian options and fresh fish all at reasonable prices. Everything was delicious! The bar is open most of the day with a good selection of beers/cocktails/fresh juices etc. Although tap water is considered potable it’s not recommended. Bottled water (600ml) available for COP5000 and refill for 3000.

It’s an easy walk into the village where there is a shop and a few local restaurants. You can also walk to Playa Libre on the north coast if you’re in search of a sandy beach and change of scenery but we found this to get very busy with day trippers and preferred the relative isolation of El Hamaquero.

If you’re looking for a budget friendly way to enjoy Rosario islands or want a more rustic or eco experience compared to the hotels, El Hamaquero is a...