Local buses pick you up on the sand in front of the Hostel and takes you to downtown Cartagena, 15 minutes away and 3,000 pesos. We liked Makena being off the beaten path as it seemed more like an island vacation and the surrounding area was traditional fishing town and less hustle and bustle and more romantic. Our king bed was very welcome and comfortable. You can cook there or buy at next-door restaurants average 40-50,000 pesos per meal. Or take the bus and eat in Centro. Good Wi-Fi and cable TV. Stephanie-Staff and Lea=Owner are extremely helpful and friendly. Night guard gets what you need at night. Great value.

Being a long weekend, Father's Day, there was louder music being played at the restaurants.

Just got back from an incredible stay at Makena La Boquilla Hostel that truly felt like a home away from home! 🌟 Our host was so welcoming and went out of his way to make our experience unforgettable. The best part? The stunning beach was right in front, where we enjoyed delicious lunches under the shade. The rooftop was a dream—spacious, clean, and complete with cozy hammocks for ultimate relaxation! And let's not forget the breakfast: fluffy eggs, rich chocolate, and tasty arepas that fueled our days perfectly. If you're looking for a perfect getaway spot, I can't recommend this place enough! 🏖️✨

This is a delightful, relaxing home from home. Leandra (owner), Rodrigo, and the lady who made our tasty breakfast, were all genuinely lovely, caring and attentive. The place is beautifully designed, clean and very comfortable. There's a terrific roof terrace with sun loungers and hammocks. It's right next to the beach, so you can walk out wearing your swimming gear, with no footwear on, and go straight into the warm, Caribbean water. If you would like to cook for yourself, there's a well-equipped, shared kitchen, which you can use to make lunches and dinners. There's a small fridge, and a TV with Netflix in the bedroom. You can get a cheap bus on the beach to go to a local supermarket or to go into the city. We were glad we decided to stay here rather than somewhere in the city centre.

The whole team and the owner Leandra are doing a wonderful 👏 job here. They give so much love to every detail and care a lot about their guests (lucky us 😁). Everything was very clean, beakfast was amazing and the beach is just a footstep away. Very nice rooftop area with hammocks. Furthermore, we could leave our luggage 🧳 at the hostel during our time at Islas del Rosario. We would come again!

The location is in the suburb of Cartagena. You definitely need a driving service. As usual for Columbia, the restaurant next door plays very loud music all day long (till around 22.00) nevertheless it serves great food 😉.

This is a truly hidden gem in Cartagena. This hostel is really more like a hotel - the staff are incredibly kind and go above and beyond to make you feel taken care of. The breakfast is wonderful and the anise arepas were the best arepas I had in Colombia. The location is in an area where no other tourists go - Ubers would question if I really wanted to go there, because the roads aren't paved and it's a pretty poor area. But this means you get to enjoy the beach without all the tourists in the other areas of the city, and I never felt unsafe. It's a great place to relax for the more adventurous traveler.

The location is about a 15-20 minute drive from the center of Cartagena, so if you're looking to explore the city it may not be convenient. There's also only one food option, a local place next store which was great but closes early.

What a beautiful place! The layout of the building is very comfortable and the third floor has hammocks and sun chairs for relaxing in sun and enjoy the cool Caribbean breeze. I can’t begin to say how nice and accommodating the staff is. By the way breakfast is awesome and made fresh daily.

the village the hostal is in is called La Boquilla and it gets a bad rap from Cartagena locals simply because it is a poor fishing village as it has been for the past 400 or so years.

The Makena Beach Hostel is a beautifully decorated, modern and clean building on the outskirts of Cartagena directly next to the beach. It is perfect if you want to be close to the city (20min by bus or taxi) without having to stay in the loud and crowded center. It feels like family there because everyone is super lovely! The breakfast is amazing and Leandra, one of the owners, speaks perfect English and helps you with taxi and tour bookings. They were also very flexibel regarding checkin and checkout times and we ended up staying one additional night. Definitely recommend this place!

Staff: Helpful, welcoming, accommodating, very friendly. Family feel. Hostel: Very clean, comfortable and spacious. Overall surrounding area is a small fishing community, which has a very local feel, which makes a nice escape from the city. You can get the beach bus, taxi (10 mins) or Makena can arrange for a driver to take you into the city, airport or Bus Terminal if needed. Everyone at Makena makes feel relaxed. Nothing is too much. Stayed for 6 days to relax after a busy time in other parts of Colombia.

This is an excellent place. We really liked the rooftop terras with hammocks and sea view, freshly made breakfast and our lovely hosts, Leandra, Clara and Rodrigo. Also, the hostal is situated just outside the dynamics of the city and at the seaside, right on the beach! Beds were really soft, it's very clean and our host spoke English. All in all a really nice place to stay, whether you want to stay for one night (airport is 15 mins away by taxi) or more and explore Cartgana or the Rosario Islands. The hostal arranged pick-up from the airport. We would love to come back some time.

Keep in mind if you take a taxi back to the hostal to check the driver if he knows the neighbourhood. The road on the beach is quicker than through the village. Journey takes about 20 mins.

Alessandra, the hostess was the best hostess l ever met, l will never forget her kindness and kindness of Rodrigo and other staff, place is clean and well maintained..other guests were also great, there is a terrace to socialise and l met wonderful people. Warmly recommended it's a 10 + !

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