There’s a moment, somewhere between the dock in Cartagena and the first sight of Barú’s treeline, when the city falls away completely. Hotel Las Islas sits on the other side of that boat ride, twenty-eight hectares of forest and coastline where the loudest thing most days is the tide. It’s a rare kind of stay: genuinely wild in setting, genuinely luxurious in delivery, and never once at odds with itself. We were hosted by the team and got to experience the hotel in all its glory
Arrival, and the shift in pace
You can reach Las Islas by car, helicopter or boat, and that alone resets the trip before you’ve even checked in. We drove there and it was 90 minutes frim Cartagena. Where Cartagena is colour and noise, Barú is thick forest meeting open sea, the property’s bungalows tucked in among the trees or set right at the water’s edge, connected by nothing but sand paths and jungle. It’s the kind of arrival that tells you exactly what the next few days are going to feel like. There is a waitng lobby, and then you are taken to rthe realc reception. When we were there, we saw many monkeys eating the fruit, so we knew that we were in the wild jungle.
Dining, spread across the property
Rather than one central restaurant, meals here move — a different setting for each one, each with its own view and mood, from open-air spots looking straight out to sea to quieter corners tucked into the trees. It keeps the food feeling tied to place rather than routine, and turns something as simple as breakfast into a small daily adventure in itself. Breakfast is on the waterfront wand was our favorite time. The sun just hits off the water, the food is delicious and the bords fly around next to the mangroves. With an alacarte menu, we soent hours watchibng the water and enjoying the meal. Dinner was in the central pool and sunset area, so was perfect for a cocktail before eating.
Getting around: buggies, bikes, and boats
With a property this size, distance is part of the design, and Las Islas handles it well, golf buggies and bicycles on call to move guests between villas, restaurants, the beach, and the activity centre, so the scale of the estate never feels like a barrier. It’s a small detail that does a lot of work, keeping the whole experience effortless.
Gym, and the case for keeping it simple
The fitness centre here isn’t the headline, and it doesn’t try to be — functional, well-kept, and enough to hold a routine together for anyone unwilling to fully switch off. Set against everything else on offer, it’s exactly as much gym as this kind of trip needs.
Beaches, swimming, and paddle-boarding
This is where Las Islas truly delivers. The property’s own beaches are the real draw — soft sand, calm, clear Caribbean water, and none of the crowds that come with Cartagena’s more accessible stretches of coast. Days settled into a rhythm of swimming, paddle-boarding out along the shoreline, and simply being in the water, with snorkeling and kayaking on hand for anyone wanting to go further.
The villa: a private infinity pool over the water
Our villa was the standout of the stay — its own infinity pool spilling toward the horizon, framed by open water beyond. Waking up to that view, coffee in hand, before anyone else on the property was moving, is the kind of morning that’s hard to leave behind once you’re home.
Sustainability, built into the bones
Las Islas takes this seriously, and it shows well beyond the marketing language. Not a single tree was cleared to build the property’s bungalows, and the hotel runs an active coral restoration program with the local Barú community, having helped plant tens of thousands of new corals along the coastline. It’s a rare case of a luxury property where the sustainability story and the guest experience are genuinely the same thing.
Sunset deck, and a telescope for the moon
As the light drops, the property’s viewing deck becomes the natural gathering point — an open perch looking straight out over the water as the sky turns over. Later, a large telescope comes out for guests wanting a proper look at the moon and the stars, with none of the light pollution that would drown it out anywhere near a city. It’s a small addition that turns an ordinary evening into something worth remembering.
Service, and the peace that comes with it
Staff throughout the stay struck the right note — warm, attentive, and never intrusive, the kind of service that makes a remote property feel effortless rather than complicated. Combined with the sheer quiet of the setting, it made for the kind of peaceful, unhurried few days that are increasingly hard to find.
Heading back: speedboat to Cartagena
Fittingly, the trip ends the way it began — by water, with a speedboat run back across to Cartagena closing out the stay. It’s a proper punctuation mark on a few days spent entirely outside the usual pace of travel, city skyline reappearing just as the wilderness starts to fade behind you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hotel Las Islas located?
The hotel sits on the island of Barú, reached by boat from Cartagena, within the Corales de Rosario y de San Bernardo National Park.
Is Hotel Las Islas a Preferred Hotels property?
Yes, it’s part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts collection, recognised specifically for its wellbeing and sustainability credentials.
How sustainable is Hotel Las Islas?
Very. No trees were felled to build the property, and the hotel runs an active coral restoration program with the local community, alongside broader environmental and social commitments.
What activities are available at Hotel Las Islas?
Swimming, paddle-boarding, snorkeling, kayaking, diving, and stargazing are all available on-site, along with a spa, gym, and multiple dining venues.
Do the villas have private pools?
Select villas feature their own private infinity pools overlooking the water, in addition to the property’s shared beaches and pools.
How do you get to Hotel Las Islas from Cartagena?
By boat — most guests arrive and depart via speedboat transfer, with the crossing taking under an hour each way.
