Eco Hotel Tierra de Agua

You can hear the river around the clock from the bungalows in the wet zone, and being surrounded by nature makes it a lovely place to unwind. The massages are good too. I found the room price a little high by Colombian standards, but the setting made it worthwhile for me. My only real drawback was that the bungalow showers had no hot water.

The place itself is nice, but the service was bad and the food tasteless. I got serious food poisoning after a turkey sandwich and I'm still dealing with it two months later. I really wish I hadn't eaten there. They need to get things together.

We spent one night over two days there, and the grounds were so expansive that we didn't feel we'd seen it all or had enough time to appreciate every corner. I loved the place. It seems especially suited to a romantic break or a small group of friends.

Jose and Santiago were really friendly, though the receptionist was grumpy. The buildings are beautifully designed, mostly with guadua, or giant bamboo, but they look as if they've had no upkeep since they were built long ago. The solid wood tables are chipped, blackened, and mildewy rather than varnished. Calling it “eco” doesn't make the prices any less exorbitant. You could stay at Medellin's most expensive hotel for less. This place feels well past its prime.