Opinions THE HUMBACK TURTLE El Valle

Just came back from spending 4 nights here and the hostel has a super relaxed and chill atmosphere, Juan who worked here really made us feel welcome and at home. The food was some of the best I've had on the trip, the rooms and common areas are cleaned daily and we had a great time on all the tours recommended by the hostel.

Un hostel comme on les aime!
Directement sur la plage sauvage de Valle, l’hostel est simple mais avec le confort nécessaire ( douche, cuisine, hamac, moustiquaire ect).
Le jardin est magnifique.
Le petit dej est bon et très original tout comme les repas ( qu’il faut commander à l’avance).
Le personnel est juste impeccable: merci pour la cuisine, pour vos sourires, vos conseils et votre accueil. Merci à Juan, Mary, Xenea, Julian, Annie et tout les autres!

Great little spot on the beach! Everyone is super friendly.

First of all: THANK YOU so much!

I just finished my 5 nights stay at the hostel and I wish I would have stayed longer already!

I loved the atmosphere/friendly vibe, the location right by the beach, the staff and don't have anything to complain about.
I arrived there with a friend and my baby and I was welcomed from the first moment. There was only a bed available for 2 nights in dorm because I came spontaneously without booking in advance so I decided to stay in my own hammock that I brought, because you can close it. Therefore I cannot say anything about the comfort of the hammocks but I loved the space where we slept and the three of us were super welcomed there.

Since it was complicated to take my baby on a whale tour because of the weather conditions, one of the ladies working there spontaneously offered that they can take care of my child while I'm gone (that was on the last day we were there). Both me and my baby felt super at ease with everyone so he did stay there alone and there were SO many caring and loving people spending the morning with him until I got back around lunchtime (I was gone for around 5 hours!). This was something that really touched my heart- apart from just the whole atmosphere.
There are many more positive things I could mention, but I definitely recommend going there and just getting your own impression. I went on several tours and was really enjoying all of them as well!

The only small tiny feedback I would give the hostel: the kitchen could use some new stoves, so people can just cook faster :) they work ok but are a bit frustrating for cooking - but since we are all on holidays there: who's in a rush anyways? ;)

PS: I think if people expect a "luxious" hostel, they should just book somewhere else but also should be open to pay mor money then;)

I just finished a 4 night stay in one of the cabanas my son stayed six in the dorms!
My partner and I were definitely the oldest people there, but it was a great vibe and the staff is wonderful. The first night we had a cabin that shared a wall with the dorms and I thought I was going to need to move to a different lodging because it was loud. In the morning I talked to Annie and she showed me two other options I took one on the middle of the hostel. Halfway between the dorms and the fire pit. It was perfect and I slept well every night after that. The food is good, but there is also a kitchen where travelers get together and can cook there own meals.
The beers are icy cold at the hostel but you definitely need to visit Rodrigo at the bar for sunsets! (Also if you are traveling here and have a spare set of binoculars Rodrigo would greatly appreciate them)
The hostel can arrange a wide variety of hikes and tours. We went out on the whale watching tour and it was epic.
My son did a guided waterfall hike, it is best to do with a guide because you need to be very aware of the tide. We went back with him and no guide and we were literally minutes from being stranded by until low tide.
The only reason I am giving this place 4 and not 5 stars is they don’t have a designated smoking area. People were smoking cigarettes all over, I don’t mind the green or brown as it is in the Pacific but I do mind cigarette smoke and butts being left around where they can turn into micro plastics on the beach, people were also smoking in the semi enclosed area where meals are served! It was actually the most cigarette smoking I have seen in Colombia.
For us it was the perfect set up, I wanted my son to have a hostel experience, hang out with other travelers and hopefully catch the travel bug (which I think he got since he planted some flowers and talks about coming back to see them bloom) but me and my partner needed a private room!

Just to say - we had a booking here that we had to cancel due to our airline failing us. The Humpback Turtle were incredibly understanding and I want to rate their customer service 5 stars.

Wow, what an incredible stay!

I stayed at the humpback for 3 days, I wish I had of stayed longer. I went whale watching and local guides got us close enough to see a full breach by a young calf. How amazing

The staff were really nice and helpful, I loved the fact they use their organic veggies for the guests meals too!

We rented some surfboards and tried surfing which was lots of fun.

10/10 experience!

De las mejores estadias, un buen lugar, te brinda un buen servicio, la atencion de las mejores. lo recomendaria al 100%

Great hostel to stay in Valle. The staff is very friendly and always asking what they can do for you. The place and bathrooms are very clean. The bar is a good place to hangout, music is not loud like other places. Right in the beach where I was walking at 10pm and saw a turttle looking for a place to put her eggs.

The Humpback Turtle, uno de los mejores hostales del pacifico. Buena vibra es lo que se respira aquí en este lugar. Brock y Logan los mejores junto con el resto del personal. Familia es la palabra que se siente en Humpback. La comida una maravilla y el ambiente de los mejores que he visto y en el que he estado. Recomendado al %101
Tienen que ir si o si.
De seguro que yo voy a repetir!!!

Uno de los mejores lugares en los que he estado, Brock y logan son los mejores
Avistamiento de ballenas es sensacional ????

Pire expérience de mon voyage en Colombie.
Je vous déconseille vivement de réserver ce logement.

I can't say enough about this hostel..from the staff to the service and the little details that make your stay so much more enjoyable. If you're in the choco area backpacking looking for a great value this is the spot. C

Had a great stay at the Humpback Turtle. After a bad experience with another hostel they welcomed us at the last minute with open arms. All of the staff was lovely and helpful, the rooms and bathrooms were clean and organized. The location was incredible, probably the best spot on the beach, far from the more trafficed areas with less trash.

Thaank you Humpback for a legendary time! Good food, comfy room, friendly staff, will be back for sure!

Great place. We had the best time. Staff were friendly and helpful. We will be back

Awesome place. Awesome people. Had a great time, met some new friends, and had a great adventure. Would highly recommend this place. If you're looking to get off the beaten path, check this place out.

Had a great experience about a month ago. Bonfires on the beach, whales out the front, good surf and fresh yellowfin tuna
that we grilled with other guests.

Nous sommes venus sur les conseils du Routard (guide français). Bien mal nous en a pris.
Malgré l’emplacement sympathique, cette auberge est sinistre : insalubrité, manque de mobilier, méchanceté du personnel.
Les touristes sont pris pour des vaches à lait, les sanitaires sont répugnants, l’air est étouffant et nauséabond et la luminosité inexistante.
Aucun espace n’est prévu pour pouvoir poser son sac lorsque l’on dort en hamacs (trop nombreux pour la structure donc touchât quasiment le sol).
À fuir !!!

hormis le bonne empemplacement de l'hotel, je le déconseille fortement

1: le personnel est insupportable. Refuse tout nos requêtes pour aucune raison. La dame de l'accueil est antipathique. Veillez à ne pas laisser vos affaires dans l'hôtel le jour de votre check-out sous peine de devoir payer une nuit de plus.

2: l'hygiène laisse désirer. Les douches ne sont pas régulièrement nettoyé, il y a du sable partout en plus de ne pas avoir de verrou en bonne état de marche. Les lits puent car les draps sont séché à l'extérieur sur des rochers. L'entrée de l'hotel est fréquemment envahie d'une odeur de pisse... De nombreux chiens herrant trainent et se batte dans l'hôtel.

bref, une séjour écourté tellement être dans cette hôtel était désagréable. je vous recommande l'hôtel Hakuna Matata ou Le Pelican nettement mieux pour un séjour.

Le seul point positif est le lieu, et d’autres hostels existent dans le même coin !
Nous avons réservé une chambre en dortoir, pour arriver et réaliser que nous dormions en hamac. Déception déjà, mais soit !

Un hamac nous est donc attribué. Quelques heures après, nous réalisons qu’en réalité ils sont déjà attribués. Nous le faisons savoir à la réception. En réalité, ils ont surbooké, il n’y a donc pas de place. Ils rajoutent donc 2 hamacs dans une lignée déjà bien serrée.

Le soir arrive, nous nous couchons. Je me retrouve par terre à 4h du matin : les poutres étant surchargées, ils avaient mis mon hamac sur une poutre trop fine pour supporter un hamac de plus. Mon voisin s’est réveillé avec la poutre tombée à 2cm de son visage. Je n’ai pas dormi à la suite de ça n’ayant pas d’endroit ou dormir à part la plage.

Le lendemain, nous partons en excursion (elle était déjà prévue). Nous rentrons le soir en expliquant que l’on souhaite partir et être remboursées. Non seulement la propriétaire (qui adore nous prendre pour des c*nnes soit dit en passant) n’a fait aucun geste commercial pour le hamac cassé et ne s’en est pas le moins du monde excusé, mais il a fallu pas moins d’1h30 de négociation pour être remboursées de deux nuits sur quatre. Nuits qui nous étaient pourtant dues car nous annulions plus de 24h en avance.

Du reste, les volontaires, surement sous pression de la proprio, sont assez désagréables. Nous avons discuté avec plusieurs backpackers la première nuit qui trouvaient l’ambiance globalement mauvaise.

Bref, passez votre chemin !

Der Ort ist grundsätzlich schön , obwohl der Stand sehr sehr dreckig ist und es extrem viel Plastik und anderen Müll hat.

Das Personal ( Reinigung und Küche) ist sehr freundlich. Die Menschen an der Rezeption sind einfach nur genervt und unfreundlich , haben keine Lust zu helfen.

Die angebotenen Touren sind deutlich teurer als bei anderen Anbietern in der Gegend.

Es hat ein paar Volunteers die lieber schon ab morgens kiffen und laute Musik hören anstatt den Strand sauber zu machen oder sich sonst irgendwie nützlich zu machen.

Man fühlt sich als Gast nicht besonders willkommen ( wir waren fast eine Woche dort).

Die Küche ist ein Witz. Keine vernünftige Ausstattung, kein Kühlschrank, einfach schlecht.

Der Garten ist schön und gepflegt.

Grundsätzlich viel Potenzial aber leider nicht gut umgesetzt.

Schade!

Kitchen and cleaning personell is very friendly.
Rooms are ok. Bathrooms are clean.
Receptionist and workers are not friendly nor competent.
Service and willingness to help isn't great.
No towels. No internet.
Location and decoration is cute.
Beach is very dirty, but seems like there's no cleaning up campaign.
Smelly dogs are all over the hostel.
Activities are much higher prices here than in other areas.
30 minutes walk from the village, hard to get there.
Hammocks haven't been cleaned in a long time.
Hostel relies heavily on volunteers and it's noticable.
Spotty cleaning. There were cigarette stubs under the bed.

Está diseñado para extranjeros trotamundos que buscan acomodación en hamacas o habitaciones múltiples. El servicio es bueno pero las instalaciones incómodas. Muchísimo ruido en las noches de parte de los mismos huéspedes que ponen música a alto volumen. Los baños son limpios, pero hay que compartirlos con veinte personas. Costoso para tanta incomodidad.