Sometimes you stay in a place and can’t wait to leave, while other times you never want to leave. After three wonderful nights at Villa Yira, and as I kissed the owners good bye, I found myself wondering when I’d be returning.
Even if my adventures in Colombia had started and ended at Villa Yira, located just a stone’s throw away from the entrance of Tayrona National Park, I’d have returned home happy. My time in this tropical haven was a microcosm of everything I enjoyed most about the country. The nature, people, food, culture and opportunities for both adventure and relaxation flowed infinitely long and wide.
Before I begin waxing lyrical about this place, I want to say I don’t usually write about accommodation. I’ve only ever written about my night at an ice hotel enduring subzero temperatures, and my bedouin experience under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert. So this should give you an indication that Villa Yira is something special.
Our arrival
After hitting down at Santa Marta airport and needing to pass an old rope bridge to get access to the lodge – like straight out of an Indiana Jones film – I was already feeling excited for what lay waiting ahead.
I had all my fingers and toes crossed that it looked like it did in the photos. A few weeks earlier I had been trawling online for accommodation in and around Tayrona National Park. We planned to do a mixture of hiking and relaxing and I felt that an eco-lodge would give us the peaceful base we required.
When I stumbled across Villa Yira on booking.com and saw photos of its characteristic design surrounded by lush jungle, it seemed perfect. But there was one problem: it only had one review and it was in French. By comparison the other places I was looking at had enough reviews to make me feel confident that they’d be as described should I stay in any of them. However, I kept returning to the tab I had opened on Villa Yira. Something at the back of my mind was saying I should take a leap of faith and just book it. And since I believe in listening to that little voice, I crossed my fingers and proceeded with the booking.
So when the time had finally arrived, and I turned down the path to the entrance to clap my eyes on it for the first time, sitting immersed within a backdrop of ripe vegetation, I was both relieved and elated. Going with my intuition had worked out well.
We were immediately greeted by the owners, Hanna and Octavio, who I learnt had only started accepting their first guests three weeks prior. In fact, Ruchi and I were their first guests from the UK! So it was no wonder, then, that they had not accumulated many reviews via online booking sites – they’d only just opened.
The villa was dreamt up by the couple who invited people from around the world to help them bring their dream into fruition in exchange for food, accommodation and cultural immersion. To reach this point, the process has taken a little over two years and it feels like it’s been a labour of love for all those involved. A peaceful and therapeutic energy radiants from Villa Yira, despite the hard work that’s been involved in getting it up and running.
The cabañas
There are six or seven eco-friendly huts, known locally as cabañas. Each one has been carefully built of native wood with high roofs covered in palm leaves. The result of using these local materials has resulted in Villa Yira looking almost camouflaged with nature.
The design is inspired by the ancient tribes of the area – there is even one hut that is fully made by them only with natural materials and ancient techniques. Just looking up at the roofs, and analysing the detailed weaving technique is mind-blowing.
Our hut was split into two areas, one for the sleeping quarter and another which contained an outdoor bathroom, terrace and hammock (I tell you, there’s no such thing as a Colombian retreat without a hammock). The space is simply furnished yet the bed is super comfortable to ensure a well-rested night after a day of activities.
Communal area
Walkways and steps connect each hut to the kitchen and communal area. The communal space is the heart of Villa Yira, where breakfast and dinner is served and where guests and volunteers can relax, socialise, exercise and listen to music as well as enjoy the sound of nature. It also leads to a man-made pool that has grown into a beautiful symbiosis of local flora and fauna.
Rather amusingly our stay coincided with a full-moon which, rather gloriously, prompts amphibians to mate. Oh, I wish you could’ve heard the sound too! It was cacophonous! Personally for me, experiencing the nuances of nature, and how in tune we all are to elements in such diverse ways really adds to the beauty of staying in this unique eco-lodge. But, if your stay also coincides with a full moon, you might want to pack some ear plugs 😉
The glorious food
Villa Yira operates in a very self-sufficient way. Hanna, Octavio and those who come here to work grow so much of what they eat and this results in extremely fresh and healthy tasting food.
Everything is freshly made every day and dinnertime is not just for eating but for enjoying the company of each other. On our first night we had a delicious vegetarian meal made from egg plants, pumpkins, fresh salad and a delicious homemade vegan cake. We watched them cook between talking about our travels and what daily life is like for them in this unique place on earth.
On our last night we had a pizza feast. The base was baked in a clay oven which was one of the first things they built when the building of the villa began. Each pizza was huge and came served with a different topping, there must have been at least four or five different varieties which we shared among ourselves.
However, my favourite meal of the day was breakfast which came packed with juicy fruits grown from the garden – papaya, mango, star fruit, pineapple, banana, you name it, I probably had it.
Things to do while staying at Villa Yira
Though we came to use the lodge as a base for exploring Tayrona National Park, we didn’t realise there would also be endless trekking opportunities situated on our doorstep.
We spent one full day in the park, which is reachable via a 35-minute walk, or you can hop on the bus which is a 5-minute ride once you exit the villa, cross the rope bridge and enter the main road of El Zaino.
On another day we made our way to the beautiful Valencia Brook’s Waterfall. From the main road we hitched a ride on a motorbike for 6,000 COP (approx £1.50) which took us to the entry of the park.
To actually reach the waterfall itself is a bit of a mission due to a lack of signs. We also had wading in and out of a river in bare feet without a towel or flip flops (make sure to pack them!), but it’s a fun mission and one that pays off once you reach the end destination.
It’s not the highest or most powerful waterfall you’ll ever see but it’s beautiful. You can also climb up the side of it, and the further up you go you will find lots and lots of pools to relax and even swim inside. Make sure to pack swim wear.
Finally, on our last day, we decided to spend our time simply relaxing around the lodge. Hanna confirmed my suspicion when she said it’s common for guests to arrive with more adventurous plans, but once they begin laying in their hammock and listening to the sound of nature, their desires appear to change. This didn’t surprise me in the slightest.
Reflections & booking
When you stay at Villa Yira, you’re not just staying in a hotel, it’s an immersion into nature. Aside from a little wifi, it provides a digital detox and the perfect antidote any stress you might have with you in your everyday life. I can’t help but feel, when you leave, you take a little bit of its magic away with you.
If you’re planning a trip to Colombia and would like to stay at Villa Yira Eco-Hotel, you can book through Booking.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment in the box below and I’ll get back to you!
2 responses
Hi!
Amazing review! We’re spending 3 nights there, and we were thinking about going 2 days to Tayrona, one to do the same route as you (arrecifes, piscinita, cabo…) and another day to climb up to Pueblito.
Now I’m reconsidering since I didn’t know about that waterfall in the surroundings of the hotel.
Is it worthy?
The bridge of the picture is the entrance for the hotel?
Thanks!
Hi Fetin, I’m sorry for the delayed reply. Amazing to hear that you’ll be staying at Villa Yira and exploring Tayrona!
Yes, from the main road you’ll need to cross that rope bridge to get to the Villa (I imagine on your arrival someone from the villa will meet you to show you the way because it’s about 15 minutes’ walk to reach. That’s what happened on my experience anyway).
Yes, Valencia Brook’s waterfall is worth it, I recommend just hopping on a moped (locals offer rides all the time, or you can get the bus ). Regarding Tayrona, if you get up early enough you’ll be able to fit in the hike to Cabo etc as well as Pueblio because it’s one full circle – starting at the main exit and finishing at the other …. but it’s up to you… best to go at the tempo that suits you.
There are other nice walking routes just around the Villa if you fancy having of a ‘lazy day’ too.
If you have anymore questions, don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll get back to you quicker next time 😉
Enjoy Colombia – you’ll love it!