My thoughts on the best hostels in Colombia may not be the same as what others feel.
Although so many people have misperceptions about the country, few know the real facts about Colombia.
I don’t look for a place to party or score cheap drugs. I’ve seen the good, bad and ugly and have never felt the need to share other than a very early post to reassure loved ones that hostels are a great place to stay.
PLANNING A TRIP TO COLOMBIA?
30 Colombian Foods You Don’t Want to Miss
Colombian Slang Survival Guide
Best Museums in Bogota
23 Delicious Colombian Drinks
But in Colombia I stayed in 3 memorable hostels that don’t receive much attention as they aren’t party hostels and I wanted to share them for those that may traveling to Colombia.
I’ve been telling all the travelers I meet and finally I just decided if I felt so strongly about it I should write a post.
Best Hostels in Colombia
Tostaky’s – Cali
Tostaky’s was part of the reason I stayed so long in Cali. Vinz, the owner, is from France and runs a very clean hostel.
There are only about 15 beds total, 4 in a dorm and the rest in rooms for really low prices. I moved to a private room after being in the dorm for a week and really loved it there.
Bonus points:
– Vinz has a fantastic music selection
– Locals often drop by and will often take you out with them dancing if you want to learn to salsa
– Two kitchens are in the hostel and both are fully equipped, I was in heaven
La Serrana Eco Farm and Hostel- Salento
While everyone stays at Plantation House, La Serrana has been noticed because a visiting chef was creating 10 course meals. It was an amazing opportunity to try fantastic Colombian food.
Although Chef Joseph has moved onto the coast I still recommend this hostel.
About a ten minute walk out of town on a farm and reminds me of a large farmhouse and is so comforting that I spent one afternoon just curled up on the couch reading.
Although it’s a bit chilly, I had no problem getting another blanket.
Bonus points:
– Awe-inspiring views of the country-side
– Real furniture, they don’t cheap out on big comfortable furniture that begs you to laze around all day
Casa Bella Vista – Bogota
Luis, the hostel owner, is actually the reason I decided to write this post as his hostel is not full and it really should be.
I found Casa Bella Vista while walking through the Canderlaria.
It’s only been open for 3 months and as I was reading the hostel sign Luis invited me in for a tour and offered a desperately needed map of the city. He was so nice to share the best things to do in Colombia.
Colombian Breakfast Foods
There was no hard sell, he just showed me around and the next day I moved in.With two small dorm rooms it’s perfect for people who want to chill out.
Bonus points:
– In the heart of the Candelaria
– Police are generally stationed only a few feet outside its doors.
– If you’re looking for somewhere good but cheap to eat, Luis has great recommendations
NOTE: Since I visited I heard the hostel turned into a party place so it may be a good idea to check TripAdvisor reviews before booking.
Pin it For Later: Hostels in Colombia
This is awesome… I might’ve mentioned this before but Colombia is our first stop on our RTW trip next year so all of your posts from the country have been super helpful (especially the list of slangs). Cheers!
Hotel/hostel reviews from bloggers you follow are a god send. I’ve had a few misadventures when I’ve relied on reviews from some of the booking sites. This is probably something we should all do from time to time.
What a great ambassador you are! The pictures make me think of our Ecuador experience and how great that was…
Thank you so much for posting this. we head to south america in about 3 months, so will definatly keep this in mind.
The good people at Casa Bella Vista were very friendly and helpful. Glad you stayed there and ditto on La Serrana.
Great recommendations. We had a few places we loved while in Colombia as well. The people are just so friendly and welcoming, and that makes such a massive difference in how I view a place. It can really just put it over the top, as it seems it did here with you. Thanks for the recommendations.
Wow a great selection of hostels. The bed in that second pic looks amazing!
Wow, the rooms in Tostaky’s don’t at all look like a hostel–more a mid-range hotel. And so cute, too!
Always enjoy reading your articles and reviews. These places look very nice. I think it’s great for you to share this information with travelers. I’ve never stayed in a hostel, but I do know that the quality can really vary.
Clean, quiet and with all the facilities you need. At least they appear to have a lot more room than the 6 beds in one room we stayed at in Scotland.
i have stayed in about a billion hostels over my time, and can i say that these look WAY too good. where is the mould dripping down the walls, the empty bottles of cheap rum and the overflowing toilets? ha.
i do find it weird that some of the best ones arent full. i think the dreaded lp has a bit of a role in that. good work on getting these ones out there!
cheers.
Those don’t look like the kinds of hostels I stayed in after college in Europe! I’m especially surprised being that they’re in South America. Thanks for the tip! When I (someday) make it to Colombia I’ll check ’em out!
@Michael
I think because in South America hostels are a fairly new phenomena so they are built with modern conveniences in mind.
I agree! These are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, I will definitely check these out if I ever make it to Colombia. Awesome!
I fully endorse this kind of piece, having recently had an experience in the hostel from hell…
Thanks for sharing. Columbia may just be in my summer future 😉
I didn’t stay at La Serrana as I hadn’t heard about it before but I did meet someone in town who was staying there and it sounded so nice I decided to take a walk out to see it. Very nice indeed.
I am also glad you found a great place in Bogotá as I heard mostly stories of disappointment for most of the “highly rated” hostels in that city.
Nice to hear you’ve had some good hostel experiences (more often we only hear of the disaster stories!). Unfortunately we didn’t make it to Columbia last year but hopefully one day – you’re doing a great job selling it to us! 😉
These look amazing! I have Columbia coming up on my wish list – I’m hoping this spring! I will def. check these out – they are fabulous 🙂
Tostaky’s looks very cosy.
The Queens Size Room looks very classy and clean. I would like it too.
I think the dorm-style days of hosteling are over for me, but I still have some great memories. I still do an occasional private room when I can find them
Hi Angelina,
I am traveling down to Colombia, directly from The Netherlands and hope this info will help me loads =)
Thanks once again
Luqman
La Serrana sounds like an awesome place. Glad you had fun there.
I love La Serrana in Solento! What a great place to stay a week and chill out. And the views are fantastic.
I know how it is. It takes a lousy hostel to entice a person to write reviews of better ones!
What a great post. I’ve written down these hostel names to remember when I’m going through Colombia. 😀
You are all welcome to stay with us anytime at La Serrana. And yes it really is that nice. $10 per night.
I met Chef Joseph in Medellin, amazing chef! Also stayed in Bella Vista over Christmas. I had trouble in Bogota, but Luis was amazingly friendly and helpful.
Thanks Ayngelina!
I’ll be in Colombia soon and I had bookmarked this page.
Also looking forward to cross from Panama’ to Colombia by boat as you did, -1 day to go I’m soooo excited!!!! 🙂
Great article.
for all of you who are going to colombia… you are going to love it. It is an amazing place
I completely agree it is such a special place.
My boyfriend is going to love this! He really wants to go to Colombia, and it’s always good to have an idea of what to do and where to stay!
So happy to hear this. I just heard back from a couple that went to Tostaky’s and said it was the best hostel of their vacation so I’m happy it’s still as good as I remembered.
This is great! I have stayed at La Serrana before, but I’ll have to check out the other two places when I head back to Colombia next month!
We love Tostaky in Cali too! Fantastic setup. I would highly recommend Masaya in Bogota over Casa Bella Vista!
In Manizales, The Secret Garden is a gem, it’s also a Bistro.
Highly recommended as it is #1 on TripAdvisor for manizales! 🙂
I would never go to hostels. Especially not in Colombia!
A nice hotel would be fine 😀
Great recommendations! Thank you so much for posting this.
I hope these hostels still stand! We just bought flights to Colombia, heading there after Bolivia. Excited now!
Thanks for sharing! I’m colombian, the last time I went to Salento I stay in a old house near the main square (not such a great idea) La Serrana sounds like a lovely place, if I go to Salento again I’ll check it out.
For those new to hosteling, do you make a reservation ahead of time or is is first come first served!
So you can do either. It really depends on how busy things are. I prefer not to make a reservation but it has meant that sometimes places are full. But whenever I land in a new country I always book my first 2 nights.