Ecolodge K'arasirca

The setting and lodge have a lot of potential, and the location is great, but at this price too many things felt average. The room looked nice, though both doors seemed broken and were difficult to open or lock. It was very cold; the owner kindly brought us a heater in the evening. Hot water was good, but the Wi-Fi was very poor. Breakfast was just okay, with tiny portions. The papaya juice was watered down and the coffee was terrible. It felt like they were trying to save on every product. Dinner was worse. A menu was sent over WhatsApp without prices, and we had to ask for them. Every item was 100 Bolivianos, far above the going rate. A three-course dinner at pretty much any other village restaurant would cost at least half as much. Not showing the prices upfront felt a bit dishonest, as guests could easily be caught out. Luckily, we weren’t. The owner also never sent details about the activities that were supposed to be available. For us, it wasn’t worth the money or time.

We came as a group of nine and had an incredible time. Ramiro went out of his way to make us feel welcome and was really accommodating. It’s a big uphill walk, but the place is worth it. We’ll be back!

We had a lovely hike to the hotel, and when we reached the island, one of the owners was waiting at the port with a llama to carry our big backpacks. The cabins were beautiful, everything was clean, and the bed was amazing. The owners and staff were friendly and helpful. They even took us back to the mainland by private boat, and breakfast brought to our room was great. The place is still under construction, so there was some daytime noise. During our stay, they made the bed each morning but didn’t clean the bathroom. For example, the toilet paper bin wasn’t emptied, even though toilet paper can’t be flushed. There also wasn’t really an outdoor spot to sit and enjoy the weather and views. An outside lounge area or some hammocks might help.

The view really is as beautiful as the photos, the staff met us from the boat with a llama for our bags, and the bed was large and comfortable. But we left after one night because our stay wasn’t acceptable for a place at this price. It’s among the most expensive on Isla del Sol, and we’d chosen it because it looked special. The spa bath looked great in the pictures, but we couldn’t keep the water hot even when topping it up, and the jets didn’t work. Dust kept covering the room because the area outside wasn’t paved. Other rooms were being built nearby, and walking to ours in the dark felt unsafe. The food was the biggest letdown. The wine was corked and smelled vile. We ordered dinner at 6:30pm and were told it would reach our room at 8pm. At 8:45pm we went to the kitchen to ask what was wrong and were told it was nearly ready. It finally arrived at 9:30pm, completely cold. It’s also a fairly long walk in the dark to the nearest restaurants if you want to eat elsewhere. We canceled our second night and moved to Sol y Luna Lodge. It was half the price, with much better food and location, and an equally good view. The staff accepted that our experience wasn’t okay, discounted the night, and didn’t charge us for the meal or wine. Still, premium prices call for more attention to the accommodation details and food. This place could be special, but it needs that care.