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Whether you’re a sustainable travel enthusiast, or looking for a really unique Colonia Uruguay hotel, Caliu is your spot. It’s Latin America’s first ever “earthship hotel” and a truly boutique place to stay when you visit the UNESCO heritage town of Colonia del Sacramento.
Earthships are buildings designed to be completely off-grid using mainly natural and recycled materials. Here in the Colonia countryside in two acres of meadow full of wild flowers, two thousand tyres, 40,000 glass bottles and 10,000 drinks cans were covered in earth to create a magical guest house with four suites.
Inside the circular guest rooms with their domed ceilings—reminiscent of something out of the middle east—the temperature is a constant pleasant, 20° whether it’s winter or summer. The acoustic effect is very peaceful. You enter your room through a type of indoor greenhouse filled with enormous luscious green plants which are used to recycle and filter the water which is reused as well as keep the room cool. The rooms are illuminated using solar energy. Your hair and skin will never feel as good after bathing in rainwater and using skin and hair care products made by a family of botanists from Montevideo. The highlight of your stay will be the natural swimming pool, purified by native water plants.
Caliu is the brainchild of an Argentine couple who sailed to Uruguay by boat and fell in love with Colonia. Jesica is a sustainable architect. Mauro has always worked in hospitality. Since landing in Uruguay and building the Earthship, with an international team of volunteers as well as Earthship experts from the US, they’ve started a family. They speak English and live on site.
Caliu is Latin America’s first ever earthship hotel, but if you don’t get to stay, don’t miss checking out their hearty home-made fare—a reader from the US called it “funky soul food”. Caliu’s on-site restaurant is open Thursdays to Sundays (if you’re staying at the hotel, you’ll eat breakfast here any day of the week). It’s a firm favourite with locals, for the cuisine and also for Caliu’s occasional cultural events.
All ingredients are seasonal and sourced locally including from the onsite kitchen garden. Specialities include mushroom risotto, falafel, shakshuka, slow cooked meats (particularly local lamb) in beer and wine and hand-made pastas. And healthy options for children like home-made chicken nuggets. The short menu is seasonal. Vegans, vegetarians and coeliacs are always accommodated for—just mention at the time of booking.
You’ll wend your way across the meadow following curving pathways mowed through the wild grasses to allow easy walking between your room and the restaurant.
The guesthouse is 5 miles (about 8 km) from the old town of Colonia That’s about ten minutes by car or taxi. Caliu has bikes available for rent. You can bike to the centre in 30 minutes or to the nearest beach (one of the favourites I mentioned in the Guru’Guay Guide to Uruguay, the Arenisca) is 10 minutes away.
Caliu Earthship Ecolodge & Restaurant
caliu.com.uy
Tula Suárez de Cutinella S/N, Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia
Phone and WhatsApp +598 97 052 234
Email info@caliu.com.uy
Weekdays 85 USD per room and weekends 100 USD.
Consult for holiday pricing and promotions.
Photos: Xavier Martin / Caliu
