Travelling Colombia in Times of Covid

At time of writing, travelling to and around Colombia is a relatively easy experience, depending on where you’re coming from - I believe the hardest part about travelling from Europe is justifying leaving your country if it's under lockdown! Travel between the UK and Colombia is currently suspended indefinitely. Most South American land borders are closed, but in Central America you can move between countries by providing a negative test. It's also very easy to fly from Colombia to Panama, and as it stands travelling from the US and Canada is very simple. All people travelling to Colombia are obliged to provide a negative PCR test taken within 96 hours of arrival. Cases have dropped off sharply in recent weeks, with many hoping that this is the pandemic tapering off in Colombia.

In Bogotá, there is very little tourism and most hostels are closed. Botanica and the Cranky Croc in the Candelaria are open, but otherwise the area is dead. Chapinero and the north are buzzy with bars and restaurants open, no clubs. In the bigger cities restrictions come and go, but at time of writing there are currently very little limitations to socialising in Medellin, Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena and Santa Marta.

At El Rio, our nearest city is Santa Marta, which is currently quite quiet in tourism terms; mostly Colombian but with a smattering of internationals. That being said, the hostels in our area (the Taryona area, between Santa Marta and Palomino) are busy on weekends and behind closed doors their bars are open and swinging, with a lot of activities running as before. The Lost City is open, but you have to do a test beforehand, Tayrona Park is open as normal.

This area lives from tourism and there has been a collective stance of "Covid doesn't exist here", with pretty much 0 confirmed cases and 1 death since March (a policeman, ironically, who was going round enforcing the restrictions). The lockdown back in March, although on paper lasted until September, was completely ignored by the locals in rural areas all across the country, with no social distancing and all shops reopening immediately. People here deal with mosquito and water born bugs all the time, so Covid was shrugged off as unimportant. In other words, it has most likely ripped through and done the rounds, however with symptoms identical to the stomach flu most people catch once or twice a year here, any cases of the virus have been (rightly or wrongly) blamed on this annual flu. These factors, plus the huge amount of vitamin D and fresh air the locals are blessed with, could explain the phenomenal resistance to the virus. To many local people, the knock-on economic effect and consequent inability to provide for families has been a much larger concern; it’s currently more an attitude of "work with what tourism there is and scrape by" than worry about outbreaks.

So essentially if you're considering coming our way you can do so relatively easily. To those pondering that by coming here and travelling you're potentially endangering the lives of locals, from what I've witnessed most Colombians are going about their lives as normal and travelling their country freely, so you wouldn't be doing anything that they are not.

By coming here you're also helping the recovery of the economy, which around here at least is mainly reliant on tourism (the other source being agriculture - banana plantations). As I stated above, most locals who live from tourism see going hungry as a far greater concern than Covid. However with the vaccine around the corner (vaccination began mid-February in Colombia) if you're planning a longer trip it might be better to wait - a traditional pan-South American "backpacking" experience is still a way off. But for a bit of winter sun and a more relaxed attitude, Colombia is a good shout.

One of the most important things is to be flexible during this time because restrictions can change from one day to the next in a local or international setting. This is why considering a backup plan for the unexpected such as travel insurance is essential. Things happen, medical emergencies, issues with baggage, etc. It can seem daunting to know what option could be the one for you and your family, so this in-depth research about the best travel insurance provides insights on what it covers so you can compare and shop around before committing.

Data Protection Policy

Privacy Statement

Effective Date: April 2018

This Privacy Statement applies to www.elriohostel.com owned and operated by El Rio Hostel. This Privacy Statement describes how we collect and use the information, which may include personal data, you provide on our web site: www.elriohostel.com. It also describes the choices available to you regarding our use of your personal data and how you can access and update this data.

Data Collection

The types of personal data that we collect include:

• Your first name, last name, email address, phone number and home address;

• Credit card details (type of card, credit card number, name on card, expiration date and security code);

• Guest stay data, including date of arrival and departure, special requests made, observations about your service preferences (including room preferences, facilities or any other services used);

• Data you provide regarding your marketing preferences or in the course of participating in surveys, contests or promotional offers;

You may always choose what personal data (if any) you wish to provide to us. If you choose not to provide certain details, however, some of your transactions with us may be impacted.

Data we collect automatically

When using our website, we also collect information automatically, some of which may be personal data. This includes data such as language settings, IP address, location, device settings, device OS, log information, time of usage, URL requested, status report, user agent (information about the browser version), operating system, result (viewer or booker), browsing history, user Booking ID, and type of data viewed. We may also collect data automatically through cookies.

Processing Purposes

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• A. Reservations: We use your personal data to complete and administer your online reservation.

• B. Customer service: We use your personal data to provide customer service.

• C. Guest reviews: We may use your contact data to invite you by email to write a guest review after your stay. This can help other travellers to choose the accommodation that suits them best. If you submit a guest review, your review may be published on our website.

• D. Marketing activities: We also use your data for marketing activities, as permitted by law. Where we use your personal data for direct marketing purposes, such as commercial newsletters and marketing communications on new products and services or other offers which we think may be of interest to you, we include an unsubscribe link that you can use if you do not want us to send messages in the future.

• E. Other communications: There may be other times when we get in touch by email, by post, by phone or by texting you, depending on the contact data you share with us. There could be a number of reasons for this:

  • a. We may need to respond to and handle requests you have made.
    b. If you have not finalised a reservation online, we may email you a reminder to continue with your reservation. We believe that this additional service is useful to you because it allows you to carry on with a reservation without having to search for the accommodation again or fill in all the reservation details from scratch.
    c. When you use our services, we may send you a questionnaire or invite you to provide a review about your experience with our website. We believe that this additional service is useful to you and to us as we will be able to improve our website based on your feedback.

• F. Analytics, improvements and research: We use personal data to conduct research and analysis. We may involve a third party to do this on our behalf. We may share or disclose the results of such research, including to third-parties, in anonymous, aggregated form. We use your personal data for analytical purposes, to improve our services, to enhance the user experience, and to improve the functionality and quality of our online travel services.

• G. Security, fraud detection and prevention: We use the information, which may include personal data, in order to prevent fraud and other illegal or infringing activities. We also use this information to investigate and detect fraud. We can use personal data for risk assessment and security purposes, including the authentication of users. For these purposes, personal data may be shared with third parties, such as law enforcement authorities as permitted by applicable law and external advisors.

• H. Legal and compliance: In certain cases, we need to use the information provided, which may include personal data, to handle and resolve legal disputes or complaints, for regulatory investigations and compliance, or to enforce agreement(s) or to comply with lawful requests from law enforcement insofar as it is required by law.

• If we use automated means to process personal data which produces legal effects or significantly affects you, we will implement suitable measures to safeguard your rights and freedoms, including the right to obtain human intervention.

Legal Bases

• In view of purposes A and B we rely on the performance of a contract: The use of your data may be necessary to perform the contract that you have with us. For example, if you use our services to make an online reservation, we will use your data to carry out our obligation to complete and administer that reservation under the contract that we have with you.

• In view of purposes C-H, we rely on its legitimate interests: We use your data for our legitimate interests, such as providing you with the best appropriate content for the website, emails and newsletters, to improve and promote our products and services and the content on our website, and for administrative, fraud detection and legal purposes. When using personal data to serve our legitimate interests, we will always balance your rights and interests in the protection of your information against our rights and interests.

• In respect of purpose H, we also rely, where applicable, on our obligation to comply with applicable law.

• Where needed under applicable law, we will obtain your consent prior to processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes.

If needed in accordance with applicable law, we will ask your consent. You can withdraw your consent anytime by contacting us at any of the addresses at the end of this Privacy Statement.

If you wish to object to the processing set out under C-F and no opt-out mechanism is available to you directly (for instance in your account settings), to the extent applicable, please contact reception@elriohostel.com

Data Sharing

• Booking.com: We have teamed up with Booking.com B.V., located at Herengracht 597, 1017 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands (www.booking.com) (hereafter Booking.com) to offer you our online reservation services. While we provide the content to this website and you make a reservation directly with us, the reservations are processed through Booking.com. The information you enter into this website will therefore also be shared with Booking.com and its affiliates. This information may include personal data such as your name, your contact details, your payment details, the names of guests traveling with you and any preferences you specified when making a booking.
  To find out more about the Booking.com corporate family, visit About Booking.com.

Booking.com will send you a confirmation email, a pre-arrival email and provide you with information about the area and our accommodation. Booking.com will also provide you with international customer service 24/7 from its local offices in more than 20 languages. Sharing your details with Booking.com’s global customer service staff allows them to respond when you need assistance. Booking.com may use your data for technical, analytical and marketing purposes as further described in the Booking.com Privacy Policy. This includes that your data might also be shared with other members of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies for analysis to provide you with travel-related offers that may be of interest to you and to offer you customised service. If needed under applicable law, Booking.com will first ask your consent. If your data is transferred to a country outside the European Economic Area, Booking.com will make contractual arrangements to ensure that your personal data is still protected in line with European standards. If you have questions about the processing of your personal data by Booking.com, please contact dataprotectionoffice@booking.com.

• BookingSuite: Your personal data may be shared with BookingSuite B.V. located at Herengracht 597, 1017 CE Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the company which operates this website and the website suite.booking.com.

• Third-party service providers: We use service providers to process your personal data strictly on our behalf. This processing would be for purposes as included in this Privacy Statement such as facilitating reservation payments, sending out marketing material or for analytical support services. These service providers are bound by confidentiality clauses and are not allowed to use your personal data for their own purposes or any other purpose.

• Competent authorities: We disclose personal data to law enforcement and other governmental authorities insofar as it is required by law or is strictly necessary for the prevention, detection or prosecution of criminal acts and fraud.

International Data Transfers

The transmission of personal data as described in this Privacy Statement may include overseas transfers of personal data to countries whose data protection laws are not as comprehensive as those of the countries within the European Union. Where required by European law, we shall only transfer personal data to recipients offering an adequate level of data protection. In these situations, we make contractual arrangements to ensure that your personal data is still protected in line with European standards. You can ask us to see a copy of these clauses using the contact details below.

Security

BookingSuite observes reasonable procedures to prevent unauthorised access to, and the misuse of, information including personal data. We use appropriate business systems and procedures to protect and safeguard information including personal data. We also use security procedures and technical and physical restrictions for accessing and using the personal data on our servers. Only authorised personnel are permitted to access personal data in the course of their work.

Data Retention

We will retain your information, which may include personal data for as long as we deem it necessary to provide services to you, comply with applicable laws, resolve disputes with any parties and otherwise as necessary to allow us to conduct our business including to detect and prevent fraud or other illegal activities. All personal data we retain will be subject to this Privacy Statement. If you have a question about a specific retention period for certain types of personal data we process about you, please contact us via the contact details included below. 

Your choices and rights

We want you to be in control of how your personal data is used by us. You can do this in the following ways:

• You can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;

• you can inform us of any changes to your personal data, or you can ask us to correct any of the personal data we hold about you;

• in certain situations, you can ask us to erase or block or restrict the processing of the personal data we hold about you, or object to particular ways in which we are using your personal data; and

• in certain situations, you can also ask us to send the personal data you have given us to a third party.

Where we are using your personal data on the basis of your consent, you are entitled to withdraw that consent at any time subject to applicable law. Moreover, where we process your personal data based on legitimate interest or the public interest, you have the right to object at any time to that use of your personal data subject to applicable law.

We rely on you to ensure that your personal data is complete, accurate and current. Please do inform us promptly of any changes to or inaccuracies of to your personal data by contacting reception@elriohostel.com. We will handle your request in accordance with the applicable law.

Questions or Complaints

If you have questions or concerns about our processing of your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of the rights you have under this notice, you are welcome to contact us via reception@elriohostel.com. You may also contact your local data protection authority with questions and complaints.

Changes to the Notice

Just as our business changes constantly, this Privacy Statement may also change for time to time. If you want to see changes made to this Privacy Statement from time to time, we invite you to access this Privacy Statement to see the changes. If we make material changes or changes that will have an impact on you (e.g. when we start processing your personal data for other purposes than set out above), we will contact you prior to commencing that processing.

Política de privacidad

Fecha de entrada en vigor: abril de 2018

Esta Política de privacidad es aplicable a www.elriohostel.com, que pertenece a y está gestionada por The Cranky Croc Hostel. Esta Política de privacidad describe cómo recopilamos y utilizamos la información, que puede incluir datos personales, que nos proporcionas en nuestra web: www.crankycroc.com. También describe las opciones que tienes respecto al uso de tus datos personales y de qué manera puedes acceder y actualizar estos datos.

Recopilación de datos

Estos son algunos de los tipos de información personal que recopilamos:

• Nombre, apellidos, e-mail, número de teléfono y dirección postal;

• Datos de tarjetas de crédito (tipo de tarjeta, número de tarjeta, nombre del titular, fecha de caducidad y código de seguridad);

• Información sobre las estancias de los clientes, como las fechas de llegada y salida, peticiones especiales, observaciones sobre tus preferencias en los servicios (habitaciones, instalaciones o cualquier otro servicio utilizado);

• Información relacionada con tus preferencias de marketing o que nos facilitas cuando participas en encuestas, concursos y ofertas promocionales;

Puedes elegir siempre los datos personales (si los hay) que nos quieres proporcionar. Sin embargo, si eliges no proporcionarnos algunos datos, puede influir en algunas de tus operaciones.

Los datos que recopilamos de forma automática

Cuando utilizas nuestra web, también recopilamos datos de forma automática, algunos pueden ser datos personales. Por ejemplo, datos como preferencia de idioma, dirección IP, ubicación, ajustes del dispositivo, sistema operativo del dispositivo, datos de registro, tiempo de uso, URL solicitada, informe de estado, agente de usuario (información sobre la versión del navegador), sistema operativo, resultado (visita o reserva), historial de navegación, ID de reserva del usuario y tipo de información vista. También podemos recopilar datos automáticamente mediante las cookies.

Fines del procesamiento

Utilizamos tus datos personales para los siguientes fines:

• A. Reservas: utilizamos tus datos personales para completar y gestionar tu reserva online.

• B. Atención al cliente: utilizamos tus datos personales para ofrecer atención al cliente.

• C. Comentarios de los clientes: puede que utilicemos tus datos de contacto para invitarte por e-mail a escribir un comentario después de la estancia. De esta manera ayudas a otros viajeros a elegir el alojamiento que mejor les encaja. Si envías un comentario, puede publicarse en nuestra web.

• D. Actividades de marketing: también utilizamos tus datos para actividades relacionadas con el marketing, según lo permitido por la ley. Cuando utilizamos tus datos personales para hacer marketing directo, como newsletters comerciales y comunicaciones de marketing sobre servicios y productos nuevos u otras ofertas que creemos que te pueden interesar, incluimos un enlace para que te des de baja, que puedes utilizar si no quieres que te enviemos más mensajes en el futuro.

• E. Otras comunicaciones: puede que nos pongamos en contacto contigo por e-mail, por correo, por teléfono o enviando un mensaje en función de los datos de contacto que nos dejes. Los motivos pueden ser:

  • a. Puede que tengamos que responder o gestionar peticiones que nos has hecho.
    b. Si no has completado una reserva online, puede que te enviemos un e-mail recordatorio para seguir con tu reserva. Creemos que este servicio extra es útil para ti porque te permite completar una reserva sin tener que volver a buscar el alojamiento otra vez y sin volver a rellenar los datos de la reserva desde el principio.
    c. Cuando utilizas nuestros servicios, puede que te enviemos un cuestionario o te invitemos a escribir un comentario sobre tu experiencia en nuestra web. Creemos que este servicio extra es útil para ti y para nosotros, así podremos mejorar nuestra página web según lo que nos cuentes.

• F. Análisis, mejoras e investigación: utilizamos los datos personales para llevar a cabo investigaciones y análisis. Puede que utilicemos a un tercero para que lo lleve a cabo en nuestro nombre. Puede que compartamos o revelemos los resultados de las investigaciones, incluidas terceras partes, de forma anónima y global. Utilizamos los datos personales para realizar análisis, mejorar nuestros servicios, ofrecer una mejor experiencia de usuario, ampliar las funcionalidades y conseguir más calidad en nuestros servicios de viaje online.

• G. Seguridad, detección de fraude y prevención: utilizamos la información, que puede incluir datos personales, para prevenir el fraude y otras actividades ilegales o ilícitas. También utilizamos esta información para investigar y detectar el fraude. Puede que usemos datos personales para evaluar riesgos y para fines de seguridad, como la autenticación de usuarios. Con estos fines, puede que compartamos los datos personales con terceros, como por ejemplo autoridades encargadas del cumplimiento de la ley, según lo permitido por la legislación aplicable y asesores externos.

• H. Materia legal y de cumplimiento normativo: en algunos casos, debemos utilizar la información proporcionada, que puede incluir datos personales, para gestionar y resolver reclamaciones o litigios legales, para cumplir la normativa o para investigaciones sobre regulación, o para ejecutar acuerdos o cumplir peticiones legales de aplicación de la ley en la medida en que la legislación lo requiera.

• Si utilizamos medios automáticos para procesar datos personales que tengan efectos legales o que puedan afectarte de forma significativa, aplicaremos las medidas necesarias para salvaguardar tus derechos y libertades, incluido el derecho a obtener intervención humana.

Bases legales

• Habida cuenta de los fines A y B, dependemos del cumplimiento de un contracto: el uso de tus datos puede ser necesario para cumplir con el contrato que tienes con nosotros. Por ejemplo, si utilizas nuestros servicios para hacer una reserva online, usaremos tus datos para llevar a cabo nuestra obligación de completar y gestionar la reserva según el contrato que tenemos contigo.

• Habida cuenta de los fines de la C a la H, dependemos de los intereses legítimos: utilizamos tus datos para nuestros intereses legítimos, como ofrecerte el contenido más adecuado para la web, e-mails y newsletters, para mejorar y promocionar nuestros productos y servicios, y el contenido de nuestra web, y para la detección del fraude administrativo y fines legales. Al utilizar los datos personales para servir nuestros intereses legítimos, pondremos siempre tus derechos e intereses en la protección de tus datos por encima de nuestros derechos e intereses.

• Respecto al fin H, dependemos también, cuando sea aplicable, de nuestra obligación de cumplir con la legislación aplicable.

• Cuando sea necesario según la legislación aplicable, solicitaremos tu consentimiento previo para procesar tus datos personales con fines de marketing directo.

Si fuera necesario según la legislación aplicable, solicitaremos tu consentimiento. Puedes retirar tu consentimiento en cualquier momento escribiendo a cualquiera de las direcciones que aparecen al final de esta Política de privacidad.

Si quieres oponerte al proceso establecido en los puntos C-F y no tienes ningún medio directo a tu alcance para rechazarlo (por ejemplo en la configuración de tu cuenta), en la medida en que sea aplicable, ponte en contacto con reception@elriohostel.com

Compartición de datos

• Booking.com: nos hemos unido a Booking.com B.V., situada en Herengracht 597, 1017 CE Ámsterdam, Países Bajos (www.booking.com) (en adelante Booking.com) para ofrecerte nuestros servicios de reserva online. Siempre que proporcionemos el contenido de esta web y realices una reserva directamente con nosotros, las reservas estarán procesadas a través de Booking.com. Por eso, la información que introduces en esta página se compartirá con Booking.com y sus afiliados. Esta información puede incluir datos personales como tu nombre, datos de contacto, datos de pago, nombre de personas que viajan contigo y preferencias que especifique al hacer una reserva.
  Para más información sobre el grupo empresarial de Booking.com, entra en la sección Quiénes somos.

Booking.com te enviará un e-mail de confirmación y un e-mail antes de llegar, y te ofrecerá información sobre la zona y nuestro alojamiento. Booking.com también te ofrecerá atención al cliente internacional 24 horas todos los días desde sus oficinas locales en más de 20 idiomas. Compartir tus datos con el personal de atención al cliente global de Booking.com les permite responderte cuando necesites asistencia. Booking.com podrá utilizar tus datos con fines técnicos, analíticos y de marketing, como se describe con más detalle en la Política de privacidad de Booking.com, lo que incluye que puede que tus datos también se compartan con otros miembros del grupo de empresas Booking Holdings Inc. para su análisis, y para poder proporcionarte ofertas relacionadas con viajes que te puedan interesar, así como otros servicios personalizados. Si fuera necesario en virtud de la legislación aplicable, Booking.com solicitará tu consentimiento previo. Si tus datos se transfieren a un país fuera del Espacio Económico Europeo, Booking.com realizará acuerdos contractuales para garantizar que tus datos personales siguen estando protegidos de acuerdo con la normativa europea. Si tienes alguna pregunta sobre el procesamiento de tus datos personales por parte de Booking.com, escribe a dataprotectionoffice@booking.com.

• BookingSuite: tus datos personales podrán ser compartidos con BookingSuite B.V., situada en Herengracht 597, 1017 CE Ámsterdam, Países Bajos, empresa que opera esta página web y la web de suite.booking.com.

• Proveedores de servicio externos: utilizamos proveedores de servicio para procesar tus datos personales exclusivamente en nuestro nombre. Este procesamiento se realiza para los fines que se incluyen en esta Política de privacidad, como facilitar los pagos de reservas, enviar material promocional o para servicios de apoyo analítico. Estos proveedores de servicio están obligados a cumplir cláusulas de confidencialidad y no les está permitido usar tus datos personales para sus propios fines ni para cualquier otro fin.

• Autoridades competentes: revelaremos datos personales a las autoridades encargadas del cumplimiento de la ley y otras autoridades gubernamentales en tanto que sea requerido por la ley o sea estrictamente necesario para la prevención, detección o persecución de actos criminales y fraude.

Transferencias de datos internacionales

La transmisión de datos personales tal y como se describe en esta Política de privacidad puede incluir transferencias de datos personales al extranjero, a países cuya legislación en materia de protección de datos no es tan exhaustiva como la de los países de la Unión Europea. Cuando la legislación europea lo requiera, solo transferiremos datos personales a destinatarios que ofrezcan un nivel de protección de datos adecuado. En estas situaciones, realizamos acuerdos contractuales para garantizar que tus datos personales siguen estando protegidos de acuerdo con la normativa europea. Si quieres ver una copia de estas cláusulas, puedes solicitarlo utilizando los datos de contacto más abajo. 

Seguridad

BookingSuite cumple procedimientos razonables para prevenir el acceso no autorizado y el uso inapropiado de información que incluya datos personales. Utilizamos sistemas de gestión adecuados y procedimientos para proteger y salvaguardar la información que incluya datos personales. También utilizamos procedimientos de seguridad y restricciones físicas y técnicas al acceso y uso de datos personales en nuestros servidores. Solo el personal autorizado puede acceder a datos personales durante su trabajo.

Retención de datos

Retendremos tu información, que puede que incluya datos personales, durante el tiempo que lo consideremos necesario para proporcionarte servicios, cumplir con la legislación aplicable, resolver litigios con otras partes y por cualquier otro motivo necesario que nos permita desempeñar nuestras actividades, incluida la detección y prevención del fraude u otras actividades ilegales. Todos los datos personales que retenemos estarán sujetos a esta Política de privacidad. Si tienes alguna pregunta sobre un periodo de retención concreto para algunos tipos de datos personales que procesamos sobre ti, ponte en contacto con nosotros con los datos de contacto que se incluyen más abajo.

Tus opciones y derechos

Queremos que tengas el control de cómo utilizamos tus datos personales. Lo puedes hacer de las siguientes formas:

• nos puedes pedir una copia de los datos personales que tenemos sobre ti;

• nos puedes informar de cualquier cambio en tus datos personales, o puedes pedirnos que corrijamos cualquier dato personal que tengamos sobre ti;

• en algunas situaciones, nos puedes pedir que eliminemos, bloqueemos o restrinjamos el procesamiento de los datos personales que tenemos sobre ti, o puedes oponerte a que utilicemos tus datos personales de alguna forma en concreto; y

• en algunas situaciones, también puedes pedirnos que enviemos los datos personales que nos has dado a un tercero.

Cuando estemos utilizando tus datos personales bajo tu consentimiento, tienes el derecho de retirar ese consentimiento en cualquier momento sujeto a la legislación aplicable. Además, cuando estemos procesando tus datos personales basándonos en el interés legítimo o en el interés público, tienes el derecho de oponerte en cualquier momento a ese uso de tus datos personales sujeto a la legislación aplicable.

Dependemos de ti para garantizar que tus datos personales son completos, precisos y actuales. Por favor, infórmanos rápidamente si hay cualquier cambio o inexactitud en tus datos personales poniéndote en contacto con reception@elriohostel.com . Gestionaremos tu petición de acuerdo con la legislación aplicable.

Preguntas o reclamaciones

Si tienes alguna pregunta o duda sobre el procesamiento de tus datos personales por nuestra parte, o quieres ejercer cualquiera de los derechos que tienes conforme a esta notificación, ponte en contacto con nosotros mediante reception@elriohostel.com. También puedes ponerte en contacto con la autoridad local en protección de datos con cualquier pregunta o reclamación.

Cambios en el aviso

De la misma forma que nuestro negocio cambia constantemente, esta Política de privacidad también puede cambiar cada cierto tiempo. Si quieres ver los cambios realizados en esta Política de privacidad cada cierto tiempo, te invitamos a acceder a esta Política de privacidad para ver los cambios. Si hacemos cambios materiales o cambios que tengan alguna influencia en ti (por ejemplo, si empezamos a procesar tus datos personales con otros fines distintos a los que se establecen aquí arriba), nos pondremos en contacto contigo antes de empezar ese procesamiento.

The Best Activities To Get Amongst Nature In Buritaca

With El Rio being close to Tayrona National Park and The Lost City Trek, it’s easy to overlook the vast array of other activities and hikes that this side of the Sierra Nevada has to offer. Here at El Rio we have several hikes and tours that are a great way to soak up some astounding nature. All tours are run and operated by local guides from the area. 

The El Rio Nature Tour

Our flagship nature tour showing off the areas’ outstanding natural beauty, the El Rio nature tour on the nearby Don Diego river takes in all sorts of birdlife, caymans big and small and howler monkeys. Sign up at reception, cost - 50,000 COP

Jungle Hikes

At El Rio we have several hikes on offer on and off the hostel site. The sunrise mirador hike, leaving at 4am, is a tough walk but well worth it, with 360 degree views up and down the coast and of the Sierra Nevada. Sign up at reception, cost - 20,000 COP

The Buritaca river basin isn’t just a good place to go tubing, with stunning walks taking you to places like the hidden waterfalls, around 2 hours from El Rio. Sign up at reception, cost - 20,000 COP

There are some great swimming spots on the Buritaca river that are hard to find. Ask at recepton for “jungle hike 2”, a great option if you’re feeling fit and active! The walk is steep and takes in some jaw dropping views of the Sierra Nevada mountains, ending with an extended tube down the river back to El Rio. Sign up at reception, cost - 30,000 COP

On the El Rio land we have a couple of miradors / viewpoints overlooking the coast and river mouth. Good if you want a sweaty, steep hike. Ask at reception, cost - free 

The Cacao Tour

A 45 minute walk each way and operated by our friends at Be Chèvre, the cacao tour culminates in a class teaching you how to make chocolate, from cacao bean to the finished product. Sign up at reception, cost - 70,000 COP

Ask at the kitchen for a delicious home made packed lunch - 20,000 COP including a sandwich, piece of fruit, cake and homemade granola

El Rio Presents: Bonanza

Planting the seed

“We should really throw a party together one day!”, said Ben as he opened another cold bottle of Aguila for me. It was March 2017, me and my boyfriend had been travelling the Colombian Caribbean Coast for a few weeks until we got stuck at this place which I immediately found to be – it. 

El Rio Hostel hugged my soul like a blanket. The dark green trees that dipped their tips into the ice cold river that runs almost through the Hostel greeted my naked skin as I swam past. The howler monkeys seemed to shout my name, so did the choir of the birds and the myriads of insects that live in this ancient jungle. My heart knew it had a found a home away from home.

“A party, huh? Sounds great, I mean, we could actually really do that!” said Guy as he sat down next to Eddy and me. Ben and Guy, the owners of El Rio, had this certain vibe, this special aura unique to people that do what they love in life. People who jumped, who face their fears – and then just did it. It took us just half an hour and half an Aguila more to become friends, and to plant the seed for what later would become one of the greatest events I ever got to plan (and trust me, there have been several).

Moving coastwards

A few month later, I was back in Colombia. I had quit my office job in Berlin and was more than ready to make it happen – our little utopia named “El Rio presenta: Bonanza”. Ben and Guy had quickly brought up the idea of the venue: Playa Bonanza. a stunnign beach, deserted, protected from the street (and nosy neighbours) by a huge banana plantation. But once I got there, I realised: this beach was by no means deserted! An old abandoned villa, built in the 90’s, was defying the strong waves that pounded against it every ten seconds. This place was not deserted… it was magic. It’s the sort of places that gives you goosebumps and that makes you feel like a child again, ready to explore.

A big family was taking care of the house, with all their primos and primas, hijos and hijas. With cute puppies and chickens running around… and, as we found out when we checked for the fuse board in a small room, a huge sow suckling it's piglets. It was literally filling the whole room, leaving us giggling – but also with a huge question in our heads: how on earth were we going to run a festival in this place?

Setting up, getting there…

As the date was coming closer, we really got moving. Ben’s friend Katja was touring Colombia at the time and agreed to bring her brother Niklas Stadler, one of the BAUM partners, and some other Munich friends. We cleaned the ground and made it safe for everyone (the sow was gently moved along), painted the house and ordered a sound system and stage (this wasn’t as simple as it sounds - this is rural Colombia after all!). Meanwhile, volunteers from all over the globe arrived at El Rio to help Eddy, Guy, Ben and me set up the festival ground. We worked in the burning heat of the day and in the cooling shades of the afternoon. We lifted and hammered, we decorated and fixed – and after a week of setup, it suddenly was the night before the party. 

Working with that team was one of the greatest experiences of my 18 month trip – genuine, hard working women and men, creative souls and strong characters. It was pure human beauty, and I still get flooded with gratefulness when I think of them.

Let the show begin

The morning of the event arrived with crisp sunshine. Everything seemed to have a lot of contrast as our small group of artists, builders and travellers headed down to the Bonanza Beach to finalise the setup. 

As we cleaned the venue once again, stocked the bar with ice-cold drinks and welcomed our Colombian food vendors and the Holzkopf Crew who had helped us during the setup, suddenly the Caribbean air seemed to vibrate with bass. The soundcheck made us realise that this was it: all the hard work would either pay off today… or not. Yes, of course we had our doubts: will the vibe be good? Will enough people from Santa Marta and Palomino make their way to our festival? 

Luckily we had no need to worry. A great crowd of people showed up. And then more… and more. The music, the sound of the waves, the swaying palm trees, the crazy rave that it all turned into… When I look back it feels almost like something from a film. But this wasn’t fiction – for one day, we made it become a reality. 

And the best thing is: we will do it again!

I still feel my feet stomping in the sand, feel the hairs on my arms standing on end in moments of bliss. And as with everything too good to let go, we decided that we would do it again. We will gather a great team. We will work hard, burn our foreheads and backs, cut our fingers and pour our hearts and souls into it. Because it’s worth it. It’s our utopia, our party, our festival, that we now want to invite you to.

We put together a killer line up already, and slowly, I can feel my pulse beating to the ticking clock as the 23rd of March comes closer. It’s happening again, ladies and gents.

See you under the palm trees