One Santuario: a wellness retreat in a private reserve in Palomino

One Santuario is a small hotel and retreat center inside an 80-hectare private nature reserve near Palomino, on the Caribbean coast of La Guajira, where the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta meets the sea. Only two or three hectares are used for cabins and activities; the rest is forest crossed by the Palomino river and by trails still used by the Kogui and Arhuaco peoples.

We know it firsthand: our founder, Daniel, has been there, and it’s the place we recommend when someone wants a retreat with real nature around it rather than a hotel with a yoga room.

What it’s like

The reserve is warm and green, close to sea level, with the mountains rising right behind it. The private cabins (King and Queen types) have air conditioning, an outdoor shower facing the mountains, a small private pool and hammocks. There are also glamping tents with a shared bathroom nearby, which is the cheaper way to join a retreat.

Meals are set menus that change every day, and most of the fruit and vegetables are grown on site. The open yoga shala sits by the river.

In July 2025, El Espectador and ProColombia reported that the reserve had been recognized internationally as an OECM, a conservation area outside the national park system. It’s also part of RESNATUR, the Colombian network of private nature reserves. Species reported there include hummingbirds and an antpitta found only in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, red howler monkeys and three-toed sloths.

What to do

From the hotel’s published list:

• In the reserve: yoga, river tubing (a 35–40 minute walk along the old Camino Real, then floating down the river on inner tubes), paddleboard, birdwatching, trekking, a steam house and temazcal.
• Therapies: relaxing, deep tissue, Thai and hot stone massage, cacao ceremony, reflexology, lymphatic drainage and sound healing.
• Outings: visits to the Sewyaka, Taiku and Tungueka communities, and trips into the Sierra to Pozo Sagrado, the Don Diego river and the Mendihuaca waterfalls.

Prices for these aren’t published; we ask the hotel when you send us your dates.

Upcoming retreats

One Santuario publishes its group retreats with dates and prices (checked October 5, 2026):

Retreat	Dates	From (per person)
Find Your Glo, wellness and flow classes	October 22–25, 2026	COP 5,500,000
Medicina del Vientre, women’s retreat	November 13–16, 2026	COP 3,700,000 (shared glamping)
Crear desde la Fuente, creativity: movement, painting, ceramics	December 3–6, 2026	COP 3,000,000 (shared glamping)
La Iniciación al Ser Mujer, mothers and daughters	June 11–14, 2027	COP 6,000,000 (private glamping, mother and daughter)

If you need a retreat in English, tell us and we’ll check the language with the facilitators.

Who it suits

It suits travelers who want quiet, nature and a structured wellness program, and who don’t mind heat, insects and a rough final road. It’s not a resort: there’s no nightlife, and the nearest beach and village are a short drive away. It isn’t easily accessible for wheelchair users.

How booking through us works

Write to us on WhatsApp or through the trip form with your dates or the retreat you’re interested in. We check availability, answer your questions and pass your reference code to the hotel. You book and pay One Santuario directly, at their published price. They pay us a commission.