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Ecohotel Spa Caucayá is located in Caucayá, a small rural area outside the town of Belén de Umbría. It sits within the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Booking Ecohotel Spa Caucayá
We heard about several international tourists visiting the hotel and enjoying their stay, so we decided to check it out one weekend. It would be our first “vacation” since the COVID pandemic.
To start the booking process, we contacted the owner, Julio, and requested a date for our group of 10. Next, we decided what we wanted for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during our stay. All three meals are included in the price, but visitors can cook for themselves if they wish. After that, we wired a 50% deposit to Julio and would pay the rest in cash upon arrival. Visit the official website for more details.
Getting to Ecohotel Spa Caucayá
When the day came for us to drive to the hotel, it had rained heavily the entire night before. Under normal conditions, it’s about a 45 minute drive from our home in Belén down a rough dirt and gravel road. It took us an extra half hour because there was deep mud the last few kilometers or so. Friends following us to the hotel had to ditch their car at a farm and walk the rest of the way. Thankfully, the owner provides complimentary transportation from the town for all guests in order to avoid hazardous conditions.
Rooms
We arrived at Ecohotel Spa Caucayá and were greeted by Julio, who showed us around and introduced us to the wonderful staff. First, we chose one of the eight rooms in the main house, which sleep between two and eight people.
The rooms are very simple and clean, but comfortable is not the correct word to describe them. The beds have lumpy cushions wrapped in plastic and covered with sheets, making it difficult to get a good night’s rest. Other than that, it was peacefully quiet at night.
Bathrooms are simple, with cold showers and a small mirror. Some of us had to ask for hand soap, bath soap, and toilet paper, which should have been placed in the rooms prior to our arrival.
The biggest issue was the rain, which caused three serious leaks in the ceiling. We had to ask for a bucket to catch the water. Only one other room out of the four we booked had this problem.
Common Areas
Next, Julio showed us the common areas. First was the lunch area, which is on an outdoor terrace with spectacular views. We had a delicious home-cooked sancocho which we all enjoyed.
From there, we went to the meeting space. It’s also on a terrace and has beautiful views of the lush mountainous landscape. We didn’t use this space during our stay.
Spa
Underneath the meeting space is the spa, which we found a bit disappointing. At first glance, it’s a nice area with massage tables, a small pool, and jacuzzi. Off to the side are a sauna and Turkish bath. However, a shower cabin sat out of place in the center.
We had hoped to take advantage of the peaceful setting and get massages, but there’s no professional masseuse on staff. We weren’t sure who would be performing this service so we declined.
The pool had freezing cold water but once you get used to it, it’s easy to enjoy the spectacular views. The jacuzzi, unfortunately, had room temperature water at best. We had been looking forward to sitting in hot water during the cool evening but it wasn’t to be. The hot water is definitely something that needs to be worked on.
Finally, the sauna and Turkish bath were the most disappointing. The sauna barely made us sweat and the bench was uncomfortable, while the Turkish bath was just two shower heads with a steam pipe and nowhere to sit.
Pyramid
The most unusual feature of Ecohotel Spa Caucayá is the pyramid. It’s used in indigenous cleansing ceremonies. We decided not to partake in a ceremony because we had other activities planned for our group.
Staff
What Ecohotel Spa Caucayá lacks in comfort and amenities, it makes up for in hospitality. The staff went above and beyond for our group and did everything to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Food was delicious and the staff were always ready with a smile. We couldn’t be happier with the service.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I honestly can’t see how international travelers would give rave reviews about the place, but it is a nice escape from the city. The peaceful setting and spectacular scenery in every direction, as well as the wonderful staff and delicious food, were the most enjoyable things about our stay.
With a few tweaks, Ecohotel Spa Caucayá can be a great place to visit while in the Coffee Region of Colombia. They definitely need to modernize the spa and get that hot water working, and of course invest in some actual mattresses rather than lumpy cushions. We realize it’s in a rural area in the mountains and they’re trying to make it an authentic Colombian experience, but we believe these are two very reasonable requests.
