Prana Beach

The view and the water were the only good parts. We couldn't relax at all, and absolutely cannot recommend this place. Everything was difficult, starting with the trip in. Our taxi cost 155,000 COP. Two men carried our bags, then demanded 50,000 COP extra, even though the manager had confirmed a 20,000 COP charge for that over WhatsApp. They also asked for another 50,000 COP for the boat. When we arrived, the welcome was unfriendly and nobody explained how things worked. We weren't told in advance that electricity was only available from 6 PM to 6 AM; we learned that from other reviews and guests. The room was in bad shape and unbearably hot, with only two fans. Frequent power cuts made sleep almost impossible. We had to keep asking for water to shower or use the toilet, and on our last day we waited a long time for it. The menu was another letdown, with many items, including burgers and shrimp, unavailable. Payment was chaotic too. They wanted us to pay for the stay by card with a 10% fee, even though our card was already registered with Booking.com. Poor communication around the Spanish word “cancelar,” which can mean either cancel or pay, led to confusion and extra charges of 612,500 COP. After a lot of back and forth, the cancellation was accepted, but the accommodation acted as though it knew nothing about it. No one from the accommodation took responsibility for the repeated problems. Other guests had to help us communicate and sort things out, since the accommodation itself didn't contact Booking.com. The manager was never on site. Even after we spoke to him, nothing changed; he just said the service was “excellent” without responding to our complaints. Leaving was a final mess. Our reserved boat arrived late, and a tourist boat was called instead, though that wasn't what we'd arranged. In the confusion, my girlfriend was roughly thrown into the boat, and our belongings, including my laptop, got wet. Nobody said goodbye, and we had to carry one of the large suitcases ourselves despite paying extra for help.

The ocean view from the balcony was lovely, especially at sunset and when waking up in the morning. The location is perfect, the rooms are great, and the staff made us feel right at home, from the host to the cooks. The host looked after us from arrival through departure, and the food was freshly made and delicious, especially breakfast. I definitely want to come back and would recommend it 100%. Too bad I had to leave.

The setting is beautiful, but our stay was awful. The food wasn’t what had been advertised, and at night we were lucky to find the last bottle of water. The room and sheets were dirty, with old soap and hair left in the shower, and we had to ask for toilet paper and towels. Water for the toilet and shower wasn’t available unless we asked, and doing so seemed to upset the staff. There was no daytime electricity, so we couldn’t charge our phones or rest in the room. We were in an upstairs room, and the building shook whenever someone moved in the room below. It felt unsafe, and we couldn’t switch hotels until the following day, so we left then. Getting there with luggage meant taking a small boat across the sand, at an extra cost that wasn’t made clear. We also couldn’t pay by card at first and had to exchange money with someone on the beach, though later card payment was somehow possible as a supposed “favour” from the hosts. I understand it’s hard to run a remote place, but what we got was nothing like what was advertised. If it had been described as a big beach hut for the night, that would have been different. We paid good money for a really unpleasant stay. It felt like a scam, even though the location itself is lovely.

We loved waking up to the sound of the sea at this eco hotel right on the beach. Ask for an ocean view room, the view is breathtaking. The family room was great, with its own shower and balcony, and Zuni was wonderful and arranged our transportation. The staff can be reached on WhatsApp. A couple of things to plan for: they provide sheets but no duvet, and electricity is available only from evening until late morning. If you’re coming by sea from Cartagena, ask for a larger boat, since the waves can get pretty scary at times.