If ‘glamping’ to you is an immersive, in-the-wilds hotel of luxury domed rooms, with a stop-you-in-your-tracks kind of view, then Bosko is the final frontier of it. As one of the most unique places to stay in Colombia, Bosko has established its place as a destination hotel.
Bosko, Guatape Review
First Impressions
Entering the intercom-controlled gate in a rickety, multicoloured tuktuk felt slightly incongruous. But this is Colombia; incongruity is part of the deal. We’d truly left behind the charmingly gaudy town centre and motorbike fumes of Guatapé and entered Bosko’s intoxicating world of birdsong and cocooning plants.
After scrubbing our hands with local coffee infused with essential oils, a ritual for every guest to relinquish any stress or negative energy, we were in. “Officially, welcome to Bosko”, smiled the warm host.
Location
Unless absolute remoteness is your goal, Bosko is in a pretty perfect location. It’s 2 hours from Medellin and just 1.5 kilometres from the convenience of Guatapé, but from the rooms, guests are enveloped by so much forest you could have been dropped hundreds of miles from any town. The only indication you’re a stone’s throw away is the view of the Rock of El Peñol from the restaurant and Sky Pools.
Facilities & Services
Complimentary access to kayaks and paddleboards is a huge tick from us. You’ll have to ring reception from the phone in your room to reserve them, and you’re good to go. We sauntered down to the dock, which is straight out of an American lakeside getaway dream, and the kayak and paddleboard were waiting for us.
The Sky Pools are wonderful, with a view of the reservoir that feels like it’s just for you. They’re not huge pools – more like plunge pools – but there are only 10 rooms with a maximum of 2 guests per room, so snagging a space poolside is never an issue. Grabbing a bean bag, resting it on the net hanging over the hillside, and ordering empanadas and a Bosko Mule, is the ultimate Sky Pools experience.
Private speedboat tours, coffee experiences, wakeboarding, trekking trips, and spa treatments can be arranged for an additional price.
Non-hotel guests can book a day pass to use the facilities, too.
Rooms
There are 10 rooms at Bosko, including Presidential, Golden, and Deluxe MushRooms. Not only is this a cute name as a nod to the domed aspect, but mushrooms also symbolise resilience in nature. The Bosko MushRooms use support systems that help them to almost float in the trees, minimising contact with the ground and disruption to the wildlife.
The magnificent domes (or glamping pods, if you can stretch your definition of glamping to luxurious eco-lodges) arguably have the best view of the reservoir. We stayed in the Golden Mushroom, which is equipped with a private deck and jacuzzi.
The rooms are scattered within a good distance of each other on the forest canopy, and with nothing passing through the reservoir except for the odd jetski, you’re in your own bubble.
Bosko invites guests to connect with nature – there’s even an outdoor rainfall shower – and the interiors do two things very well. They’re plush enough to feel like a luxury hotel, but pared back and neutral enough to not feel out of place in the setting. You can hear every raindrop inside the dome, but there’s something about being cosy and snug in a king-size bed (which also has mattress heating) that makes this one of the best bits about Bosko. Pack an eye mask, though, unless you want the sunlight to wake you up at 5am.
Food & Drink
This isn’t a complete bashing of buffet breakfasts, they have their place. But an à la carte breakfast included in the room price will always win in my book. From smoothie bowls to breakfast arepas, Bosko’s à la carte breakfast was a far cry from the soggy scrambled egg of breakfast buffets. Coffee also comes in a personal cafetiere.
They also serve lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the day. The town has plenty of restaurant options, so why should you dine in the on-site restaurant, Manto at Bosko? Well, despite being just a few minutes’ drive from more restaurants, Bosko can feel a world away from it all. It feels near impossible to pull yourself out of the Bosko-shaped cocoon. And luckily, the food is fabulous. The prices are comparable to the town – slightly higher, but that’s to be expected – while the quality is incomparably better. They make a humble cheeseburger feel like a top gastronomy experience. High quality beef that’s crispy yet juicy, home-pickled gherkins, and lashings of sauce good enough to drink.
It seems like the restaurant is mainly dined at by hotel guests, and with only 10 rooms, the atmosphere was lacking slightly during our visit. But Bosko is all about the romance, so a quiet restaurant doesn’t matter too much.
Value
Prices at Bosko start at 1,417,104 COP (366 EUR) for a Deluxe MushRoom, 1,744,128 COP (450 EUR) for a Golden MushRoom, and 3,379,428 COP (873 EUR) for a Presidential Suite.
By Colombian standards, Bosko is not cheap. But the combination of design-led rooms, complimentary use of the kayak and SUP, privacy, exclusive views, and away-from-it-all retreat feeling, justify the premium price. For couples searching for a luxury stay in Guatapé, Bosko delivers something that feels genuinely unique. Luxury glamping in Colombia doesn’t get better than this.
Is Bosko kid-friendly?
Bosko is an exclusive adults-only hotel. The perfect retreat for couples seeking uninterrupted bliss.
Is Bosko accessible?
The nature of the hotel as an immersive glamping experience means that Bosko is not accessible for those who are physically impaired or wheelchair users. There are steep and uneven paths between the rooms and the Sky Pools and restaurant. The path down to the dock (for kayaking and paddle boarding) is particularly steep.
Aleyna loves learning about a culture through its food, whether that's closer to home or being out there in the world. She’s always happiest when experiencing somewhere new, but her base in London is a close second.
