11 Sustainable Colombia Ecolodges And Wellness Retreats
Most people don’t realize how tired they are until they finally step away.
Constant messages, endless tabs, and days spent reacting instead of resting… it all adds up. Unplugging for a few hours helps, but unplugging for a few days changes everything.
Colombia is one of the best places to disconnect and reconnect. When you wake up to howler monkeys instead of alarms, or float down a river instead of refreshing your feed, your nervous system starts to reset. You remember what it feels like to be present.
These ecolodges give you that space. No screens, no crowds, no rush. Just nature, clean food, and slow rhythms. The simplicity is the luxury.
But they offer more than peace and quiet. Every night you stay helps fund conservation projects, support rural families, and keep fragile ecosystems wild. You’re not just a guest, you’re part of the solution.
If you’ve been craving something real, this is your guide. Go off-grid. Stay a while. And come back with something deeper than photos.
1. Ecohabs Tequendama – Tayrona National Park
Ecohabs Tequendama is located just inside the El Zaino entrance of Tayrona, surrounded by jungle and a short walk from the beach. The cabins are cozy and stylish, made from bamboo and palm with private bathrooms, AC, and balconies. It’s quiet, lush, and feels tucked away despite being close to the main trail.
The lodge is built with natural materials and designed to blend into the landscape. Solar panels provide energy, and they follow a zero-waste policy. Most of the staff are locals, and part of the income supports park conservation efforts.
Guests can hike to beaches like Arrecifes and La Piscina, lounge in hammocks, enjoy riverside meals, or relax in the outdoor hot tub. It’s a great option if you want comfort without leaving the wild.
Location: 1 km inside El Zaino entrance, Tayrona National Park
Price: USD 130–180/night (includes breakfast)
Sustainability: Bamboo/palm construction, solar energy, zero-waste, local employment
Activities: Jungle hikes, beach access, hammock lounging, hot tub, riverside dining
2. El Nido del Cóndor Ecolodge
This lodge sits majestically on a plateau at 2,200 m above sea level, nestled between two gorges carved by rivers from Los Nevados National Park. From your safari-style tent, you feel perched in nature’s theater, with Andean condors circling above.
Each accommodation is carefully crafted using local wood, stone, and canvas. A part of your stay supports reforestation across 60 hectares, helping native fauna like condors, foxes, and even pumas to return. The lodge operates off-grid, with low-impact infrastructure and on-site food sourced from their own orchards and nearby farms .
You’ll arrive via cable car suspended over the canyon or by horseback along mountain trails. Guided hikes include visits to condor nests, local caves, waterfalls, and riverbanks. At night, community storytellers and conservationists reveal the region’s culture and ecology around a campfire, leaving you both grounded and inspired.
Location: Villamaría, Caldas (Coffee Region)
Price: $160–$270 USD/night (all-inclusive, varies)
Sustainability: Built with local materials, native reforestation, funds condor conservation and habitat restoration
Activities: Condor watching, cable-car or horseback arrival, hiking, stargazing, farm-to-table dining
3. La Manigua Lodge – La Macarena, Meta
La Manigua is tucked in the jungle near Caño Cristales. Wooden cabins on stilts overlook lush greenery and riverbanks. Rooms start around USD 32 per night, with package deals available for multiday stays.
The lodge is solar-powered and built from local materials. It uses biodegradable soaps and employs local guides and cooks. A tree nursery on-site helps replant native species in the region.
Activities include riverboat rides, jungle hikes, and treks to the “River of Five Colors.” Guests can also join cooking classes, birdwatching walks, and cultural experiences with nearby communities.
Location: La Macarena, Meta (Caño Cristales)
Price: USD 32+/night or COP 2.1 million (≈USD 550) for multi-night packages
Sustainability: Solar energy, local materials, native tree nursery, local hiring
Activities: Jungle hikes, river tours, Caño Cristales trek, cooking classes, birdwatching
4. El Almejal Ecolodge – Bahía Solano, Chocó
El Almejal is set along a wild black-sand beach on Colombia’s Pacific coast. Cabins blend into the forest, just steps from the ocean. Rates average USD 80–90 per person per night, often with meals.
This ecolodge is part of a private nature reserve and runs on solar and hydro power. It has its own wastewater treatment and recycling plant. Building materials are locally sourced and designed for airflow.
Visitors can snorkel, kayak, and go whale watching. You’ll also find mangrove tours, guided jungle hikes, and access to nearby Utría National Park.
Location: Bahía Solano, Chocó
Price: USD 80–90/person/night (meals often included)
Sustainability: Solar and hydro power, eco waste system, local wood, nature reserve
Activities: Whale watching, kayaking, jungle hikes, mangrove tours, Utría Park trips
5. El Dorado Reserve – Minca, Magdalena
El Dorado is perched in the cloud forests above Minca. It’s one of Colombia’s best birding lodges with stunning mountain and Caribbean views. Rooms range from inexpensive dorm beds to private cabins.
Run by ProAves, the lodge helps protect endangered species like the Santa Marta Parakeet. It’s fully off-grid with solar power, compost toilets, and a strong focus on biodiversity conservation.
Birdwatchers will love the early morning tours. There are forest hikes, waterfall visits, and night walks to spot owls and frogs. It’s remote, peaceful, and perfect for nature lovers.
Location: Minca, Magdalena
Price: USD 50–150+/night
Sustainability: Solar power, compost toilets, endemic bird conservation, off-grid
Activities: Birdwatching, cloud forest hikes, waterfall visits, night walks
6. Vanadurga Ashram – San Rafael, Antioquia
Vanadurga Ashram sits in the mountains near San Rafael, about a three-hour drive from Medellín. It’s a peaceful yoga and wellness sanctuary set along two pristine rivers. Guests can stay in family, couple, or shared rooms.
The ashram follows Vedic ecological principles and is eco-certified. Buildings are made from local materials, and the property features organic gardens, recycling projects, and composting systems. Daily karma yoga lets guests deepen their spiritual practice while supporting the ashram’s self-sufficiency .
Activities include daily yoga classes, meditation sessions, Ayurvedic treatments, massage, and mantra chanting. Regular weekend retreats focus on sacred feminine energy, cacao ceremonies, herbal medicine and deep nature immersion
Location: San Rafael, Antioquia
Price: USD 40–150 per night
Sustainability: Vedic ecological design, local materials, organic gardening, recycling, composting
Activities: Daily yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, massages, weekend retreats, karma yoga practice
7. Soplo del Tambo – Cocorná, Antioquia
Soplo del Tambo is an off-grid mountain retreat about 2.5 hours from Medellín. Built entirely of bamboo and palm leaf, it’s accessible only by hiking the last stretch.
The lodge operates on solar power, compost toilets, and river-fed showers. It was designed to leave minimal impact, with zero-waste practices and hand-built structures seamlessly embedded in the forest
Guests can practice yoga, take forest walks and waterfall hikes, and join temazcal ceremonies. It offers a digital detox experience with no Wi-Fi, just nature, silence, and starry nights.
Location: Cocorná, Antioquia (2.5 hrs from Medellín)
Price: USD 50–100/night (meals included)
Sustainability: Off-grid solar, compost toilets, river showers, natural materials, zero-waste
Activities: Yoga, forest hikes, waterfall treks, temazcal, digital detox
8. Riverside Ecoliving – Jericó, Antioquia
Riverside is a stunning coliving and coworking retreat for digital nomads set on the banks of a river just outside of the picturesque town of Jericó about 2.5 hours south of Medellin.
The site runs sustainably with solar-powered lighting, rainwater harvesting, and an organic garden supplying a farm-to-table café. It offers high-speed fibre internet with backup, eco-construction materials, and a zero-waste ethos.
There are communal meals, workshops, regular community events, wellness classes, and permaculture practices bring guests together and support local staff and initiatives. Guests enjoy 24/7 coworking, yoga, meditation, and nature tours.
On the property, there’s a river to swim in, trails to hike, horse rides, and hammock zones for relaxation.
Location: Vereda Altamira (10 min from Jericó)
Price: USD 25–70 per night
Sustainability: Solar lighting, rainwater harvesting, farm-to-table, zero waste, high-speed backup internet
Activities: Coworking, yoga, meditation, river swimming, hikes, horseback rides, community events
9. YAY Sustainable Lodge – Tayrona, Magdelena
YAY Lodge is more of a jungle sanctuary than a hotel. You’ll stay in bamboo cabins beside a clear mountain river, surrounded by fruit trees and tropical birds. The vibe is calm, grounded, and radically simple.
This is a community-first operation. Local staff share their knowledge of healing plants, local legends, and food traditions. The permaculture design makes the whole place feel like it’s breathing with the forest.
There’s a yoga shala, natural pool, and outdoor showers that face the trees. Guests usually come for rest and reset, but leave with insight and inspiration. If you want to feel more connected to both land and people, YAY delivers.
Location: Near Tayrona National Park, Guachaca River
Price: $100–$150 USD/night
Sustainability: Compost toilets, bamboo construction, community-run
Activities: Yoga, meditation, river floats, permaculture tours
10. Isla Fuerte Ecolodge & Diving Center – Isla Fuerte, Caribbean Coast
Nestled on a coral island called Isla Fuerte, 11 km off the coast near Cartagena, this beachside ecolodge offers six cabins surrounded by palm groves and each built with native materials.
Sustainability is front and center: the lodge follows a bio-climatic design, uses solar power, treats drinking water on-site, recycles waste, and supports local community conservation efforts. It includes radio communication and emergency support for remote stays .
The real draw is the diving with over 16 km² of reefs with 30+ dive sites, including Bushnell reef, a mud-volcano dive at Burbujas, wrecks, walls, and rays. Non-divers can kayak, snorkel, paddleboard, explore the “walking tree,” or lounge in hammocks by the sea.
Location: Puerto Limón, Isla Fuerte (Bolívar), Caribbean Sea
Price: Full‑board; cabins for 2–4 guests (custom quote)
Sustainability: Bio‑climatic build, solar power, water treatment, recycling, community support
Activities: Scuba & snorkel, dive courses, paddleboarding, kayaking, reef and wreck exploration, island walks
11. Yoi Amazon Ecolodge
Yoi feels like stepping right into the heart of indigenous Amazonian life. You stay in simple cabins tucked into the forest, learn indigenous Ticuna traditions from the people who live there, and travel by boat along ancient river systems.
All guides are from the San Martín community, and local leadership shapes the daily rhythm. They’ll tell stories of the forest, lead you to secret waterfalls, and teach you how to fish by hand. What you get here isn’t just sightseeing, it’s genuine cultural exchange.
Electricity is limited and showers are solar-heated, which helps keep the place light on resources. Meals are sourced locally and served communally, often accompanied by live storytelling or music. Staying at Yoi means you become part of something bigger than just a tourist experience.
Location: San Martín de Amacayacu, Amazonas (3 hours by boat from Leticia)
Price: $120–$160 USD/night (all-inclusive packages)
Sustainability: 100% local Ticuna staff, built using community knowledge, off-grid with solar and composting systems
Activities: Jungle hikes, community visits, fishing, medicinal plant walks
The Future Is Sustainable Tourism In Colombia
Taking a few days fully offline is one of the healthiest things you can do. It clears your head, softens your stress, and lets you hear yourself think again. That kind of space isn’t a luxury; it’s medicine.
These sustainable ecolodges create that space with purpose. They protect the land. They honor the locals. They show that tourism can be thoughtful, not extractive.
You don’t need more stuff or more stimulation. You need more stillness, more stories, more wild places.
Supporting these stays keeps those wild places alive. It’s a choice that benefits everyone, especially you.
The future of travel is slower, smarter, and more grounded. Colombia is already leading the way.
I have been running mindful hiking retreats for the last 7 years that integrate mindful awareness, experiential learning and community building practices.
I love exploring new places, flying my drone and sharing my adventures on my Instagram.
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