Hostel Review – The Dreamer Santa Marta, Colombia

Discussing my Colombian travel plans with other backpackers before arriving here, as soon as I mentioned I was headed up to Cartagena almost everyone said, “Go to Santa Marta and stay at The Dreamer.” When talking about Santa Marta almost no other hostel was mentioned, other than by those who were not able to get into The Dreamer.

So being on the well-trodden backpacker route, who was I to turn down something that seems to be a Colombian backpacking must?

Santa Marta is a 4 – 5 hour bus ride along the coast from Cartagena (depending on traffic). Located just outside of Santa Marta main city, The Dreamer Hostel definitely feels like an oasis in the desert upon arrival. Walking through the large wooden gates into a backpacker zone of people relaxing in hammocks, playing pool drinking beers and enjoying a large in-ground swimming pool seems too good to be true in this extremely hot and humid part of the world. But that’s exactly what The Dreamer is, a place to escape for a few days, relax in comfort and enjoy life as a traveler.

Clothing hangs from trees, people are relaxed and happy.

The Dreamer staff are absolutely its best asset. The front desk staff are knowledgeable and fluent in both Spanish and English and happy to help with any questions/concerns/plans guests have. Day trips can be booked at the hostel for activities such as diving and beach trips, or hikes to the Lost City as well as a party bus on the nights it’s scheduled. The hostel makes a big effort to ensure that there are plenty of extra activities for those interested, as well as ensuring those who are just looking for a place to rest and recover for a while can do that too.

Offering both dormitory and private room accommodation, I stayed in a six bed dorm that was clean and comfortable, with air-conditioning turned on each night. The room had large lockers which were great to secure valuables, however the relaxed feel of the place with everyone leaving their phones and computers charging wherever almost eliminated any concerns about theft.

The Dreamer dorm rooms were clean and comfortable.

The dorm I stayed in didn’t include an ensuite bathroom, and I must say I found the shared bathroom to be the most unimpressive element of my stay. Used frequently throughout the day by those playing in the pool as well as those without ensuite facilities, the bathroom contained two toilets and three showers each for men and women. Unfortunately often the toilets did not flush and the doors did not lock, meaning that others often walked in on those who were already occupied in the toilet stall. The showers were also very varied with their water supply, most times providing barely a trickle. There is currently a water shortage in Santa Marta and visitors need to be mindful of taking short showers and conserving water where they can, however it seemed that the lack of flowing water to both showers and toilets was more a hostel plumbing issue than anything else.

The other big issue with the shared bathroom is it’s used by people drinking into the night. Whilst The Dreamer has a quiet after midnight rule as well as opportunities to party outside of the hostel, it seems that those who come back from their big nights or early morning use the shared bathroom as a vomit space. During my stay a couple of times I opened the shower door to discover vomit covering the floor and commiserated with an employee whose job it was to clean up.

The Dreamer basically provides everything guests could need whilst enjoying their stay. An Italian restaurant on site offers reasonably priced, good quality food, there is a kitchen and lounge area upstairs above the bar for those wanting to save some money and cook for themselves, and 5 minutes walk down the street is a large shopping center with a movie cinema and Exito supermarket.

The kitchen is nice for those wanting to cook for themselves.

The lounge area is a good place to hang out and use the intermittent wifi.

Many backpackers use The Dreamer as a base when moving around the area. Buses can be easily taken from Santa Marta to Tayrona National Park, Minca or Palomino with the stop just a short walk from the hostel. The Dreamer also has a 2nd location in Palomino itself and staff are able to book accommodation directly for those interested.

As far as hostels go, yes The Dreamer is a great place to hang out for a few days if you’re planning to visit Santa Marta. As long as you book early and don’t set your expectations too high, it is a hostel that lives up to the backpacker hype.