FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Booking, your stay, getting here and life on the land. If your question isn't here, write to us.
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Booking and prices
When do you open?
We plan to welcome our first guests in late January 2027. Leave your email at the bottom of any page and you'll be among the first to hear when bookings open.
How much does a night cost?
COP 400,000 per villa per night, for up to 3 guests. A 4th guest, adult or child, is COP 70,000 more per night. Babies under 2 stay free.
How many people can stay in a villa?
Up to 4. Each villa has two queen beds. Babies under 2 don't count toward the 4.
Can we bring children?
Yes, children are welcome. Guests under 18 must travel with a parent or legal guardian, or bring written permission from them. There are no cribs in the villas.
How do I book?
Bookings aren't open yet. When they open you'll be able to book directly on this website, or on Airbnb and Booking.com. Leave your email and we'll tell you the day they open.
How does payment work?
If you book 15 days or more before arrival, you pay 50% when you book and the rest 14 days before you arrive. We send you the payment link a week before it's due. If you book less than 15 days ahead, you pay in full when you book. If the balance is still unpaid 2 days after the due date, the booking is cancelled and the deposit isn't refunded. Bookings made on Airbnb or Booking.com are paid through those sites.
Cancellations and changes
What's your cancellation policy?
Cancel 14 days or more before arrival and we refund everything. Between 7 and 13 days before, we refund 50%. With less than 7 days' notice, or if you don't arrive, there's no refund. Nights you don't use after leaving early aren't refunded either. Bookings made on Airbnb or Booking.com follow the policy shown on that site.
Can I change my dates?
Yes. You can change your dates once, free of charge, if you ask at least 14 days before arrival and the villa is free on the new dates.
What happens if you have to cancel?
If we ever have to cancel your stay, you choose between a full refund and new dates.
Your stay
What time are check-in and check-out?
Check-in is from 4 pm to 8 pm and check-out is at 12 noon. You can arrive as late as 10 pm if you tell us at least 24 hours ahead. Early check-in and late check-out are free whenever the villa is free, so just ask.
What's in each villa?
Two queen beds, air conditioning, a bathroom and a teak deck facing the ocean. The front is glass from floor to ceiling, 3.4 metres tall, so the view fills the room.
What should I pack?
Light, breathable clothes, a swimsuit, sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, comfortable shoes for walking the land and a small torch for the paths at night. Some cash in Colombian pesos is useful too.
Getting here
Where exactly are you?
At Km 39 on the Troncal del Caribe (Ruta 90) in Mendihuaca, between Santa Marta and Palomino, 5 km past the main entrance to Tayrona National Park (El Zaino). Look for our teak gateway by the road. Read more →
What's the nearest airport?
Simón Bolívar International Airport in Santa Marta (SMR), about an hour away by road. It has direct flights from Bogotá, Medellín and other cities in Colombia.
How do I get here from the airport?
The easiest way is a taxi, about an hour along the coast road. Agree the fare before you get in. On a budget, take a taxi to Santa Marta's public market and a local bus toward Palomino from there. Read more →
Can I get here by bus?
Yes. Cootransoriente buses toward Tayrona and Palomino leave from behind Santa Marta's public market every 15 to 30 minutes, from early morning until about 7 pm. Ask the driver to let you off at Km 39, Mendihuaca. The ride takes about an hour and costs less than COP 15,000.
Can I arrive after dark?
Check-in is until 8 pm, or 10 pm if you tell us 24 hours ahead. The sun sets between about 5:30 and 6:20 pm depending on the month, and the drive up to the villas is easier in daylight, so we suggest arriving before dark.
House rules and pets
What are the house rules?
No smoking inside the villas. Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 7 am. No parties or events. Only registered guests can stay overnight. And please don't feed the wildlife.
Can I bring my pet?
Sorry, pets can't stay with us. Five rescued street dogs already call the land home. Read more →
Are service dogs welcome?
Yes. Trained service dogs are welcome at no extra charge. Please tell us before you arrive, so we can keep our own dogs at a calm distance. Other animals, including emotional support animals, can't stay with us.
Around us
How far is Tayrona National Park?
The main entrance, El Zaino, is 5 km away, about 10 minutes by car.
Is Tayrona open all year?
Not quite. The park closes three times a year, usually for about two weeks in February, June and October or November, so the land can rest and the Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada can hold their ceremonies. Parques Nacionales announces the dates, so check them before you plan your visit. Read more →
Is there a beach nearby?
Yes. Our guests get a free day pass at CasaGrande Surf, about 2 km away near the mouth of the Mendihuaca River. It's probably the best beach in the area.
The land and its wildlife
Questions about nature, answered on the guide pages.
Where is Bodhi Mente?
At Km 39 on the Troncal del Caribe in Mendihuaca, Magdalena, Colombia, near Tayrona National Park. The land covers 13 hectares.
What are the villas like?
There are two villas. Each has a floor-to-ceiling glass front 3.4 metres tall and a cantilevered teak deck with steel-cable railings, so nothing blocks the view.
Is there hot water?
There's no water heater. On sunny days the water gets warm during the day; on cloudy days it stays cool. It comes from our own well, 25 metres deep, and travels about 1 km through our water system to each villa.
What else is on the land?
Groves of avocado, citrus, coconut, plantain, níspero, sapote, teak and guadua bamboo, plus a mountain planted with more than 26 kinds of plants.
What animals live around Bodhi Mente?
Our hidden camera has caught crab-eating foxes (zorro perro) and Central American agoutis (ñeque). On the land we've also spotted Santa Marta white-fronted capuchins and boas.
Are there monkeys near Tayrona?
Yes. We've seen the Santa Marta white-fronted capuchin (mico cariblanco), which lives only in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and is listed as Endangered.
Is the boa dangerous?
Boas have no venom and very rarely attack people; even a human baby is too big to count as prey. They mostly eat rats and other small animals.
Are there anacondas here?
No. Anacondas live in the Orinoco and Amazon basins, not on the Caribbean coast. A large snake here is most likely a boa.
What birds can you see at Bodhi Mente?
We have recorded 39 bird species on our land in Mendihuaca, near Tayrona National Park, including hummingbirds, parakeets, flycatchers, tanagers, woodpeckers, hawks, caracaras and a pair of Scarlet Macaws.
Are there macaws near Tayrona?
Yes. We've seen a pair of Scarlet Macaws (guacamaya macao, also called guacamaya bandera) on our land, near the Quebrada Seca, the dry creek. They usually travel in loud pairs or family groups.
When is the best time to see birds here?
Almost all of our species can be seen all year. The Broad-winged Hawk is a migrant, most likely here from October to April. As anywhere, birds are most active early in the morning.
How do you identify the birds?
We record what we see and hear with the Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and check each species against trusted sources.
What grows at Bodhi Mente?
We have planted 68 different kinds of trees, palms and plants on our land near Tayrona, including avocado, orange, mandarin, níspero (sapodilla), mamey sapote, coconut, pera de agua (Malay apple), teak and royal palms, plus 2,400 swinglea as living fences. We've also identified 25 kinds of wild plants so far, and we're still counting.
How many trees have you planted?
Since we started building we have planted 102 trees and palms. We lost or removed 14 along the way, a net gain of 88. We don't count plantains: botanically they're giant herbs, not trees.
How do the QR tags work?
Each plant has a QR tag. Scan it with your phone's camera and this guide opens on that plant, with its story and facts.
Do you make your own coffee or cacao?
We're preparing Bodhi Mente coffee (Despertar and Pausa) and cacao (Raíz). They're coming soon.
Still wondering?
Ask us anything
Follow us
Watch the garden grow, the villas take shape and the animals come by.