Isla Fuerte Ecohouse — Hotel in Cartagena

I stayed with my girlfriend for my birthday for 2 nights, first impression was that the hotel looked amazing!

Unfortunately it only went downhill in my opinion it is very costly at 400.000 COP a night compared to other available areas (we found this out after)

The rooms were nice and spacious with a nice ceiling fan, really useful when it was too hot and at night time, however the shower head uses a rock which looks pretty but loses the functionality of a shower as well as the mosquito net worked but made the bed small if you didn't want to be touching it 😂

The service was the worst part of the experience at the hotel unfortunately we paid for breakfast included and each morning were greeted with very cold responses from staff making it feel awkward this was the same as when we ate lunch (30.000 COP each) and although we were paying it felt like I had asked the staff a really rude question or favour which again was very off putting especially when comparing them to the rest of the community who are incredibly kind and talkative with anyone

The location of the hotel is about a 10 minute walk down a simple dirt path in the woods, however once you are in the hotel the views and the scenery is awesome the beach is incredibly pretty and the water is calm majority of the time to go and swim, it is very relaxing in that regard

In conclusion we were not too impressed with out stay lots of bad things adding up made it quite a negative experience and would highly recommend looking to stay somewhere in the town where it's cheaper and a lot more approachable. If you do stay there I would recommend staying away from the Coco Loco as it tasted very sour compared to others we had!

The island itself is amazing and a must see! Just maybe a different...

The "rooms" are your own bungalow a short walk into the wilderness, so you are constantly surrounded by the sounds of nature. One of the oldest and largest trees on the island rests in front of the bungalows, making for a beautiful sight. The rooms themselves are simple, consisting of just the beds, a few stools, and a lockable closet for storing items while out of the room, since the rooms themselves don't lock. There is, of course, the more secure safe box in the bathroom for storing valuables. All beds have mosquito nets, a must-have in warm, tropical climates to protect yourself from being eaten alive by bugs at night. The service is fine, and the food is fantastic and decently priced. The island itself was gorgeous. The coraline beaches have pretty fine sand, which was a pleasant surprise for me, and the water wasn't full of algae like most other beaches. The people living there are very friendly and are ready and willing to help you as best as they can. Do expect to walk a lot, about 15 mins to the village, 15 more to the largest beach, and about an hour to the other end of the island. For me personally, SCUBA-diving in the coral reefs just off-shore of the island was the highlight of the trip. If you're willing to spend about 2 half days taking the mini-course and doing the training (or already have a certification), I'd...

Great stay in Isla Fuerte Eco House! A special thanks to Felipe for all his assistance during my stay in planning activities, giving recommendations on the island.

The hotel staff were also incredibly helpful in providing contacts to arrange transportation from the Montería airport.

If you're considering a stay at Eco House, some quick tips I wish I had known:

-- Bring a water bottle. One of the best parts of this hotel is that they have a filtered water station. You'll go through a lot of water, and it's nice to see a hotel provide water to their guests, rather than insisting on selling bottled water. Let's not mention all the plastic waste avoided!

-- Pack a good insect repellent!

-- You'll thank yourself later if you bring boots / hiking shoes. Getting around the island involves walking some rocky trails. Pack a flashlight for getting around the island at night.

-- Remember you're on an island! EcoHouse does a great job of respecting sustainability measures while also offering guests amenities and comforts.

-- The hotel has a restaurant; great food. There are a handful of other options on the island.

-- There are no ATMs or banks on the island. Bring cash!

Wifi - works well. There are safes...