Bright blue Caribbean Sea, brunette woman (me) sitting in a chair overlooking the water

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Staying at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

You’re headed to Cartagena, Colombia. You might’ve heard that an hour voyage by sea will take you to the tropical haven, the Rosario Islands. In addition, you’ve decided to enjoy the Caribbean breeze on Isla Grande. But where to stay? Hotel San Pedro de Majagua may be a great option for you on Isla Grande.

This hotel is a favorite for a few reasons. For example, it offers complete and utter relaxation and serenity. Similarly, no crowds, no loud parties and stunning waters. Unless you’re at the restaurant, you really feel like you have an entire private island to yourself! You also get a luxury resort experience. There are also plenty of activities to do, at mid-range to budget luxury prices. This is honestly an idyllic place to stay for couples for an away-from-it-all feel.

Lodging Type: Luxury Resort, Private Bungalows, Luxury Hotel

Hotel Class: N/A

You can book Hotel San Pedro de Majagua, here.

Green island brush surrounding a thatch roof bungalow at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua
The back side exterior of our bungalow.

Where is the Hotel Located?

Visual map of Isla Grande with blue water surrounding it, pointing out where Hotel San Pedro de Majagua is on Isla Grande
Map of Isla Grande, courtesy of World Easy Guides

Isla Grande is the largest landmass in the Rosario Island Archipelago. There are about 18 lodging choices on Isla Grande. They range from hostel level to luxury resort. Hotel San Pedro de Majagua is on the same side of the island as Laguna Encantada, or the “Enchanted Lagoon.” This is where you can swim with bioluminescent plankton!

Trees growing everywhere on Isla Grande, with a white square stone path leading to the ocean
Hotel San Pedro de Majagua’s property on Isla Grande is the perfect mix of dreamy island vibes, nature and comfort

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua Amenities

Delicious, complimentary hot breakfast

Turndown Service

Multiple private beaches

On site Restaurant

Bar on each Beach

Housekeeping, Ironing Service, Laundry

Air-conditioning in all Rooms

Spa Facilities and Treatments

You can find a full list of complete amenities here

Mint and Coconut Lemonades, each glass with a straw and a lime on the sides.
There are a large variety of drinks available. We drank our fair share of Limonada de Coco and Limonada de Mente.
Mint and Coconut Lemonades – highly recommend!

The Bungalow

We stayed in a freestanding bungalow at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua. Upon exploring the island, it appears as though there are some rooms that are connecting to one another. In addition, all rooms appear to have a patio with at least one hammock.

Every bungalow is named after an animal. This is the front of the bungalow, we had neighbors across from us and next door.

The room is well appointed with toiletries, a large couch, a safe and glass sliding doors that reveal the outdoor patio. In terms of comfort, the bungalow accommodation at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua provided everything needed to have a homey place to hang our hats while on the island.

View as soon as you enter the bungalow. To the left is a large comfortable couch, straight ahead is the bed and to the right is the bathroom area.
As soon as we entered our bungalow there is a large couch to the left, the bathroom to the right

Tip: Bring and wear ample insect repellant. I did acquire an abundance of bug bites during my time here. Ear plugs might not be a bad idea. Ironically, this is one of the quietest destinations I’ve ever visited, but it does get quite windy at night. Also, the birds like to chirp early!

Inside our bungalow, the couch, tv, open closet, window and front door
There is a large TV in the room that we never used and straight ahead is the closet space.

Service at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

The service is lovely at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua. Most of the staff only speak Spanish, therefore a translator app will come in handy if you don’t. An awesome gentleman at the front desk, Leo, speaks English and is warm, friendly, helpful and accommodating.

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua staff will transport your luggage to your room accommodation for you and will also stow your luggage as needed behind the front desk. If you have any questions about anything, you can contact the front desk via WhatsApp at any time.

Tip: If you are looking to conserve your cash on hand, you can tip the entire staff on your final bill upon check out. This includes the servers, spa technicians, front desk and so forth. They include a suggested gratuity on your bill. This will not include any third party guides that you hire separately. We gave separate tips to our boat captain and guide on our canoe tour.

Hotel Cost

Visiting in the month of February, the Hotel was roughly $224/night after taxes.

You can book Hotel San Pedro de Majagua, here.

Safety and Security

No matter where we were on the island – land or sea – we felt extremely safe. For instance, the hotel security is top notch. They have mastered the art of being everywhere and around, but not intrusive. Additionally, there are also cameras everywhere on the property. Rest assured, safety and security are best in class here.

Food Situation

Fried Pineapple with Icecream, Uchuva Cheesecake and a view of the main dining area
Fried Pineapple with Icecream: about 16,000 COP or $4.00 and Uchuva (a South American fruit)
Cheesecake 15,000 COP or $3.80. Really good food at great prices. In this photo we’re sitting in
the extended dining room. Lunchtime can be a busier time as day trippers will likely be having lunch as well.

The on site restaurant is open from 7:30am – 8:30pm. In addition, breakfast is 7:30am -10:30am. Other than that, you can pretty much visit the restaurant anytime your heart (or stomach?) desires. There is a fairly extensive selection of food and deserts. The food is objectively good, especially in comparison to the prices. For instance, a dessert was around $3 or $4 USD. If you stay at the Hotel long enough and are craving some variety, you can always visit another hotel’s restaurant on Isla Grande.

One of my favorite meals I had while staying at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua. The grilled lobster with
coconut rice and tostones. Delicious! 90,000 COP or about $23 USD

Most stay rates include a complimentary hot breakfast that is generously portioned and excellent in quality. Breakfast consisted of coffee, your preference of juice, fresh fruit, eggs, tostones and a plentiful bread basket. The caveat is that breakfast is the same daily, which did not bother us, but worth noting.

Complimentary Hot Breakfast, you select your juice and how you’d like your eggs prepared

Spa

There is a spa on site with a an array of treatments to select from. The prices are very reasonable. For instance, an hour long leg and foot massage is about 90,000 COP or $23USD. A highlight was the Dead Sea scrub and massage, which was 90 minutes for 200,000 COP or about $51 USD. The technicians are professional and courteous.

Tip: You can tip your technician in cash or add their gratuity to the card you have on file for your room.

This way to the Spa building!

Know Before You Go

Make sure to reserve seats for Hotel San Pedro de Majagua’s boat to transport you back and forth from Isla Grande to Cartagena. This is the most cost effective mode of transport, costing $35 per person each way. You can add this to your final hotel bill.

Bring plenty of cash with you, just in case! They were having issues with their card reader during checkout. Some Guests opted to pay cash to settle up faster so they didn’t miss the boat back to Cartagena for the day.

Important for planning: Unless you hire a private charter, you can only leave the island daily at 3:00pm via the hotel’s boat.

You can buy sunscreen at the resort – for a considerable markup.

There will be people selling souvenirs of all kinds. Some of the jewelry is very pretty. If you’re not interested a simple, “No Gracias” or “Maybe Later” will due.

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua is truly a great experience. It will give you the remote island getaway feel, stunning views and adventures, sans exorbitant price tags. Staying at this hotel on Isla Grande is really, quite a treasure.

Travel Tips & Resources to Help You Plan an Epic Trip!

Going – I have been subscribed to Going (formerly, beloved, Scott’s Cheap Flights) awhile now and it’s an amazing resource for finding… did you guess cheap flights? Yes, you can set your preferences from airports to flight class and get destination deals right to your inbox. It’s fab! I use the Premium paid version, but they have a FREE version too. So what are you waiting for?! Let’s get Going!

Booking.com – the majority, if not almost all of my stays are booked on Booking.com. It’s a reliable site to book and manage your reservations. It’s a great way to find boutique stays and unique accommodations at the best rates! You can also easily communicate with your accommodation through the app!

Expedia – If I am looking for a flight to a specific destination for specific dates, I find myself booking the majority of my flights on Expedia. It’s user friendly and straight forward. I often can find the most cost effective rates, while earning points for every flight I book (in tandem with the points I receive from the credit cards I pay with).

Viator – most of the activities, tours and excursions I book for my trips are booked through Viator. Whether you’re seeking a guide for the day, a group tour, a cooking class, Viator has you covered!

Get Your Guide – this is another great marketplace to find tours, excursions and activities to book for your upcoming trip.

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