{"id":7073440,"date":"2026-10-02T22:03:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T22:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7073440"},"modified":"2026-10-02T22:03:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T22:03:31","slug":"luxury-on-colombias-caribbean-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7073440","title":{"rendered":"Luxury on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"


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There\u2019s a moment, somewhere between the dock in Cartagena and the first sight of Bar\u00fa\u2019s treeline, when the city falls away completely. Hotel Las Islas sits on the other side of that boat ride, twenty-eight hectares of forest and coastline where the loudest thing most days is the tide. It\u2019s a rare kind of stay: genuinely wild in setting, genuinely luxurious in delivery, and never once at odds with itself. We were hosted by the team and got to experience the hotel in all its glory<\/p>\n

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Arrival, and the shift in pace<\/h2>\n

You can reach Las Islas by car, helicopter or boat, and that alone resets the trip before you\u2019ve even checked in. We drove there and it was 90 minutes frim Cartagena. Where Cartagena is colour and noise, Bar\u00fa is thick forest meeting open sea, the property\u2019s bungalows tucked in among the trees or set right at the water\u2019s edge, connected by nothing but sand paths and jungle. It\u2019s the kind of arrival that tells you exactly what the next few days are going to feel like. There is a waitng lobby, and then you are taken to rthe realc reception. When we were there, we saw many monkeys eating the fruit, so we knew that we were in the wild jungle.<\/p>\n

Dining, spread across the property<\/h2>\n

Rather than one central restaurant, meals here move \u2014 a different setting for each one, each with its own view and mood, from open-air spots looking straight out to sea to quieter corners tucked into the trees. It keeps the food feeling tied to place rather than routine, and turns something as simple as breakfast into a small daily adventure in itself. Breakfast is on the waterfront wand was our favorite time. The sun just hits off the water, the food is delicious and the bords fly around next to the mangroves. With an alacarte menu, we soent hours watchibng the water and enjoying the meal. Dinner was in the central pool and sunset area, so was perfect for a cocktail before eating. <\/p>\n

Getting around: buggies, bikes, and boats<\/h2>\n

With a property this size, distance is part of the design, and Las Islas handles it well, golf buggies and bicycles on call to move guests between villas, restaurants, the beach, and the activity centre, so the scale of the estate never feels like a barrier. It\u2019s a small detail that does a lot of work, keeping the whole experience effortless.<\/p>\n

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Gym, and the case for keeping it simple<\/h2>\n

The fitness centre here isn\u2019t the headline, and it doesn\u2019t try to be \u2014 functional, well-kept, and enough to hold a routine together for anyone unwilling to fully switch off. Set against everything else on offer, it\u2019s exactly as much gym as this kind of trip needs.<\/p>\n

Beaches, swimming, and paddle-boarding<\/h2>\n

This is where Las Islas truly delivers. The property\u2019s own beaches are the real draw \u2014 soft sand, calm, clear Caribbean water, and none of the crowds that come with Cartagena\u2019s more accessible stretches of coast. Days settled into a rhythm of swimming, paddle-boarding out along the shoreline, and simply being in the water, with snorkeling and kayaking on hand for anyone wanting to go further.<\/p>\n

The villa: a private infinity pool over the water<\/h2>\n

Our villa was the standout of the stay \u2014 its own infinity pool spilling toward the horizon, framed by open water beyond. Waking up to that view, coffee in hand, before anyone else on the property was moving, is the kind of morning that\u2019s hard to leave behind once you\u2019re home.<\/p>\n

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Sustainability, built into the bones<\/h2>\n

Las Islas takes this seriously, and it shows well beyond the marketing language. Not a single tree was cleared to build the property\u2019s bungalows, and the hotel runs an active coral restoration program with the local Bar\u00fa community, having helped plant tens of thousands of new corals along the coastline. It\u2019s a rare case of a luxury property where the sustainability story and the guest experience are genuinely the same thing. The hotel is also a member of Beyond Green, in the portfolio of sustainable hotels and we love the focus on sustainability they have. <\/p>\n

Sunset deck, and a telescope for the moon<\/h2>\n

As the light drops, the property\u2019s viewing deck becomes the natural gathering point \u2014 an open perch looking straight out over the water as the sky turns over. Later, a large telescope comes out for guests wanting a proper look at the moon and the stars, with none of the light pollution that would drown it out anywhere near a city. It\u2019s a small addition that turns an ordinary evening into something worth remembering.<\/p>\n

Service, and the peace that comes with it<\/h2>\n

Staff throughout the stay struck the right note \u2014 warm, attentive, and never intrusive, the kind of service that makes a remote property feel effortless rather than complicated. Combined with the sheer quiet of the setting, it made for the kind of peaceful, unhurried few days that are increasingly hard to find.<\/p>\n

Heading back: speedboat to Cartagena<\/h2>\n

Fittingly, the trip ends the way it began \u2014 by water, with a speedboat run back across to Cartagena closing out the stay. It\u2019s a proper punctuation mark on a few days spent entirely outside the usual pace of travel, city skyline reappearing just as the wilderness starts to fade behind you.<\/p>\n

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Frequently Asked Questions<\/p>\n

Where is Hotel Las Islas located?
The hotel sits on the island of Bar\u00fa, reached by boat from Cartagena, within the Corales de Rosario y de San Bernardo National Park.<\/p>\n

Is Hotel Las Islas a Preferred Hotels property?
Yes, it\u2019s part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts collection, recognised specifically for its wellbeing and sustainability credentials.<\/p>\n

How sustainable is Hotel Las Islas?
Very. No trees were felled to build the property, and the hotel runs an active coral restoration program with the local community, alongside broader environmental and social commitments.<\/p>\n

What activities are available at Hotel Las Islas?
Swimming, paddle-boarding, snorkeling, kayaking, diving, and stargazing are all available on-site, along with a spa, gym, and multiple dining venues.<\/p>\n

Do the villas have private pools?
Select villas feature their own private infinity pools overlooking the water, in addition to the property\u2019s shared beaches and pools.<\/p>\n

How do you get to Hotel Las Islas from Cartagena?
By boat \u2014 most guests arrive and depart via speedboat transfer, with the crossing taking under an hour each way.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n