Jay and Steph, Casa Loma's owners, are well-travelled 30-somethings and business partners from London, England. They first came to Colombia in 2008 on a trip around South America, fell in love with the country and its people, and decided that this was the place to set up home.
After visiting Minca, they were blown away by the natural beauty surrounding the village and the tranquil atmosphere and so returned the next week.
Someone showed them a gorgeous wooden hilltop house and, two‑and‑a‑half years later, Casa Loma Minca opened its doors.
The aim of the hostel is to offer a relaxing place with great food and company, while enjoying the spectacular views and natural environment of Minca and the surrounding Sierra Nevada.
The name "Casa Loma," meaning "house on a hill," is the original name of the house which is constructed entirely from wood and situated in amazing tropical gardens, surrounded by fruit trees, coffee plants and indigenous stone footpaths.
As the name suggests (!) we are set high up on a hill overlooking Minca and Santa Marta. The ten-minute walk from the plaza is worth every step of the journey and your hammock awaits at the top!
We are lucky enough to enjoy amazing sunset views over the mountains to the west of us and this is the perfect way to finish off an active or restful day in Minca.
The house has five rooms and a capacity for 12 people in beds, plus four hammocks which naturally create an intimate social vibe where you can swap travel stories and get to know others over a beer on the large open terrace.
We share our house with our dog Lola, who loves to go walking with guests, plus our two cats Nariz Blanca (white nose!) and Doble Cara (two face!). Nariz Blanca will occasionally curl up on your knee, while Doble Cara prefers hunting and sleeping!
The hostel doubles as a cafe in the daytime so come up and enjoy a coffee or a sunset beer with us and take in the views even if you are staying elsewhere or only have time for a day trip to Minca. We serve a varied menu...check out the Food section for more info.
You can also take a peek at the largely undiscovered and little-studied original indigenous stone path in our garden and the two stone carvings right next door.
A note about money:
Please note there are no cash machines in Minca. There is one ATM at La Bomba (a large petrol station at the entrance to Minca) and one at the bus station.
Otherwise, you will need to go to "La Buena Vista en Mamatoco." This is a large shopping mall on the edge of Santa Marta close to the entrance to Minca where there are a number of ATMs.
If you are in Santa Marta there are a number of ATMs around Plaza San Francisco at Calle 14 and Carrera 4.
Thanks for choosing Casa Loma Minca. We try hard to create a good open, chilled and enjoyable environment, but it's you guys that really make Casa Loma the special place it is.
We know from our experience of travelling and living here that we were very lucky to stumble across this amazing wooden house on the hill. Spread the word and enjoy "Loma life."
Mi casa—tu casa.
Jay and Steph
Casa Loma Minca Founders