Review of Casa Loma Minca

Where We Slept is our hotel roundup from our time on the road. We hope it helps budget travelers see how far their dollar can go--even though sometimes, it's not far enough!

You have two choices when it comes to staying overnight in Minca--either stay in town, or stay up in the mountains.

We picked the latter and suggest you do the same.

Even though there's always a bit of a hike and some climbing involved with staying out of town, you gain the benefit of awesome views and a bit of serenity.

I mean, it's hard to beat this sunset from the common area of Casa Loma:

The view was definitely the best part as the rest of the "B&B" left something to be desired, at least if you're traveling as a couple and not 22 years old.

We picked the Treehouse Room ($70.000COP/night without breakfast) as it promised 360 degree views and a private porch. What the description failed to mention is that the porch was right next to the communal bathrooms and the view was mostly of encroaching trees, not the mountains or ocean.

The expats who run this hotel obviously want to cultivate a carefree communal vibe, and I dig that, but for almost US$40 per night, I also wouldn't mind a lock on my door or the ability to change in my "private" room without flashing everyone hanging out in the common area. Another chair on the deck would be nice as well, as it's a little awkward to just have one when you have two people.

I think this place was probably really awesome when it was less popular and hence less crowded. Nowadays, however, there's little room to move around in the common space and the staff seem frazzled, with my fruit salad in the morning taking over an hour to arrive.

Still, there's not a ton of choice in Minca, so if you can deal with the lack of privacy and lagging service, then you could do worse than here. The views are lovely and one morning we were awoken by three frolicking toucans outside our window! (I guess that's a plus for just having screens as the walls of the cabin.)

Spotted a bunch of Toucans above our treehouse in Casa Loma!

There is, of course, the climb up, which takes about 10 minutes at a steady pace. I can't judge them on that as they make it really obvious on their website and when you call. However, if you don't like walking in the dark or on a steep hill, this place isn't for you.