The colorful and historic town of Honda is highly recommended to visit. Although off the beaten path, this place not only offers a centuries-old historic center, more than 40 bridges, good food and sunshine, it is also one of the destinations in Colombia where you can sail on the famous Río Magdalena. So plenty of reasons to spend a few days here. Due to lack of tourists, there are not that many hotels to be found in Honda, especially in the historic center. Still want to stay somewhat affordably, enjoy a pool in the heat and walk straight from your hotel into the city’s oldest street? Then stay at the fabulous Casa Belle Epoque!
Casa Belle Epoque: a gem in Honda
Honda is an ancient town and this boutique hotel fits in perfectly. Located across from the Plaza de Mercado (the old market halls) and directly on Calle de las Trampas (Honda’s oldest street), has Casa Belle Epoque the perfect location for exploring Honda.
Exactly when the house was built is unknown, but because of the local art nouveau style, it is believed to be about 90 years old. This building used to be the headquarters of the only notary in town and later the home of journalist and mayor Pacho Mario.
Decorated around a central courtyard, the rooms, floor tiles and imposing façade take you back to hot Honda’s thriving and commercial past, when the town was one of Colombia’s most important ports. Read more about Honda’s history here.
For years, the house was an abandoned ruin where homeless people sought shelter. Until it was decided to revive history and give the house a function. The renovation took a whopping 5 years, but then you have something. Namely, a beautiful boutique hotel.
The hotel’s owners, English Nadia Diamond and Colombian Luis Enrique la Rotta, see Honda as the jewel of Colombia. In its streets you will find every architectural style there is in the country, and the colorful colonial downtown resembles a Caribbean city, yet is really a thousand kilometers from the sea, between Bogotá and Medellín. Amid high mountain ranges. The hotel, the staff and especially owner Luis radiate with love for the city. An experience never to be forgotten!
Relaxing in hot Honda
The nice thing about this hotel is not only that it is centrally located, but also that you can relax there. In fact, Honda is quite warm, and a pool and jacuzzi overlooking the mountains is quite pleasant then. There are many places in the hotel where you can sit and lie down. Not only by the pool, but also on the rooftop terrace in fine lounge chairs, at the cute tables set up there and even in hammocks overlooking the city and the mountains. Climb all the way up and enjoy stunning views. There is no restaurant, but you can order all kinds of things. For example, they have delicious homemade fruit juices and sodas to cool off with in the heat of the day. We too took advantage of these opportunities and played many games of rummikub on the terrace.
Everything you need
Casa Belle Epoque has fantastic reviews on Booking and Tripadvisor, among others, and for good reason. And I only write hotel reviews if I thought it was really special. After all, I wish you a fantastic time in Colombia! This hotel was another one of those. Small, but perfect. It has everything: a perfect location, super sweet staff, nice rooms, a delicious breakfast, hammocks and nice places to sit, a panoramic terrace, good free wifi, a pool and jacuzzi and much more. The only downside we found was the beds: they were rather hard. This may not be the case in every room. For 4 days, we especially enjoyed the quietness, the excursions and the cozy feeling in the hotel. Next time in Honda I will definitely come back.
Book your stay at Casa Belle Epoque here, get guided by Luis and discover Honda!
The best thing about this hotel is the incredibly welcoming entrance. Like coming home. Owner Luis is an owner of which there are not many. As a tour guide, he knows all of Colombia like the back of his hand, and Honda is no exception. When he first came here, he already fell in love with this city, so he knows it like no other. Luis took us to his homemade treehouse from where we took a fantastic trip down the famous Magdalena River and together with him we enjoyed a very interesting 4-hour city tour. Useful detail: Luis speaks very good English and German in addition to Spanish. Honda is so much more than just the historic center: from this hotel you can discover it!
Go off the beaten path in Colombia and discover the amazing Honda! Click here for more information about this town. Coming soon: an overview article on Honda including sights, museums, restaurants, safety, how to get there and more!
There is an affiliate link in this article. Click here for more information. This review was not written in cooperation with the hotel, but as a sincere recommendation to you.
