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Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
First Look: Casa Carolina Debuts In The Heart Of Cartagena, Colombia
Casa Carolina's interior courtyard, with one of two swimming pools. Casa Carolina Gabriel García Márquez once said that all of his works have loose threads of connection to Cartagena, the vibrant and vivacious capital that was the muse of his magical realism. Nearly 500 years after its foundation, Cartagena still weaves together a history of pirate raids and baroque beauty with modern-day glittering skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea. In the midst of a nearly 500-year-old historic center and on the foundations of what was once Cartagena's first city block, Casa Carolina is a new luxury boutique hotel that brings together every thread of the city's soul. Centuries-old elements painstakingly preserved to UNESCO World Heritage standards meet sleek outdoor pools, cutting-edge wellness offerings, and inspirational cuisine and cocktails inspired by the coast. Casa Carolina is just what the visitor to Cartagena seeks: the old and the new, often all at once. Casa Carolina's colorful rooftop with outdoor swimming pool. Casa Carolina Like most structures in the colonial-era Walled City of Cartagena, Casa Carolina has lived many different lives before its debut as the city's newest luxury hotel earlier this year. Located directly across the street from one of Cartagena's central squares, it was first the presbytery of Santa Catalina de Alejandría Cathedral, its coral stone columns, staircases, and walls reaching sky-high and breathing centuries of history. By the 19th century, the space had become the Café de la Nueva Granada, a meeting space for the creative minds of Cartagena, the first of its kind in the city. In 2022, it began its most recent renovation, a multi-year labor of love overseen by owner Caroline Tchekhoff to transform it into the 15-room boutique hotel it is today. "Casa Carolina is more than just a hotel—it's a celebration of Cartagena," says Tchekhoff. It's a celebration that visitors feel as soon as they step through the towering front doors, past columns and through arches dating 16th century, and into the grand courtyard. Where a cistern once hid beneath the floor to collect rainwater, an outdoor pool now glimmers. At the heart of the courtyard, a storied níspero tree, laden with ripe fruit, provides shade on the hottest days. A suite at Casa Carolina. Casa Carolina The Rooms Carved out of the hotel's centuries-old structure, each of the hotel's 15 rooms and suites has a different layout and personalized design. Thoughtfully-selected pieces of art and decor fill spaces designed to feel serene and sleek, with muted furnishings to let historic details shine. Each room has amenities like a Nespresso maker to brew organic Colombian coffee, and locally produced, sustainable bathroom amenities from Loto del Sur. Some rooms, especially those towards the back of the property, lack some of the historic feel of the rest of the space. However, most rooms retain original elements that range from frescos and wood ceilings to original walls. At the front of the property, the stunning suites facing Cartagena's main square are the most stately. Sky-high ceilings, original frescos, and a stunning mix of history-meets-modern design throughout make them the best rooms in the house, hands down. Guests who are sensitive sleepers may prefer one of the rooms towards the property's back courtyards; while soundproof windows throughout keep out most noise, drumming and dance performances are a daily occurrence at sunset in the square facing the hotel. However, they're festive rather than annoying, especially considering they just last for an hour or two. Accessibility Guests with mobility issues, especially those who use walkers or wheelchairs, will have trouble accessing the property. Though many areas of the property are accessible via elevator, accessing the elevator isn't possible without first navigating stairs. Unfortunately, given the property's age and historic character, it was impossible in the renovation process to make more substantial changes to allow for more inclusive access. Guests with mobility issues should check in with the property prior to booking with any concerns. Casa Carolina's rooftop bar stands out even with Cartagena's quickly-growing mixology scene. Casa Carolina Food & Drinks Dining at Casa Carolina is an experience to remember. Located off the courtyard is Just B, a wellness-minded cafe offering drinks, smoothies, salads, pastries, and more, all made fresh from locally-sourced ingredients. Make sure to get the matcha and granola bowl and a cold brew mixed with orange juice and thank me later. However, the culinary highlight is the hotel's rooftop bar and al fresco dining space, made magical with the view of the coral-colored cupola of the cathedral at sunset. The bar menu is impressive, designed in partnership with Cartagena's El Barón, featured on the prestigious 50 Best Discovery list. I'd recommend trying the Baile y Fuego , a tribute to García Márquez himself, or the Casa de la Nueva Granada , inspired by the cafe that once filled these historic walls. "We're proud to bring the essence of El Barón to Casa Carolina," said Juan Diaz, owner of El Barón. "Our goal was to create cocktails that don't just taste incredible, but that also share a sense of place, honoring the people, stories, and traditions that make Cartagena so unique. Both eateries are open to the public, making this a great place to escape from the heat of the day while peeking inside the incredible interior of this historic building. Beyond Casa Carolina's courtyard is a yoga studio and spa offering a range of treatments and experiences. Casa Carolina Spa & Wellness For a hotel of this size to have a spa is impressive, but at Casa Carolina, wellness goes far beyond a standard massage menu. With an intimate spa and a yoga shala tucked towards the back of the property, wellness is a pillar at the heart of a stay at the property. Casa Carolina's commitment to wellness is motivated by the owner's personal dedication to mindful living practices like yoga and Ayurvedic healing techniques that she says helped safe her life after an accident nearly left her paralyzed years ago. With these same principles brought to life at Casa Carolina, "it's luxury with purpose," she says, "designed to leave a lasting impression.' Yoga classes, meditation sessions, and sound healings are available throughout the week on a rotating schedule, and can also be arranged by request. While the spa specializes in Ayurvedic treatments and therapies, guests interested in something a little more classic will find plenty of options to choose from as well. The níspera tree at the heart of Casa Carolina's courtyard. Casa Carolina Staying at Casa Carolina To stay at Casa Carolina is also to support the hotel's commitment to sustainability, woven through the fabric of its operations in big ways and small. Notably, Casa Carolina is part of a new local initiative known as Nuestra Cartagena, a collective of sixteen local, independently-owned businesses in the tourism industry brought together by a shared love for the city and a desire to mitigate the downsides of tourism by helping craft rich, authentic, and equitable experience for visitors. Basking in the shine of her debut in Cartagena, Casa Carolina strikes a balance that few places in the city can. With its heartfelt commitment to the modern and the historic, Casa Carolina feels like Cartagena itself, storied and sage, yet very much still vibrant and alive.
The Guardian
08-08-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘We've begun oil spill response training': Patagonia prepares for the largest crude oil export port in Argentina
The rocky crevices of the Valdés peninsula and the pristine waters of the San Matías Gulf, on the Atlantic coast of Argentinian Patagonia, are a remote sanctuary for marine life, where protected southern right whales breed, orcas hunt and thousands of penguins and sea lions flourish. 'It's a treasure chest of wildlife – a breathtaking, untouched place,' says María Leoní Gaffet, a local wildlife expert and co-director of Península Valdés Orca Research. 'It's unique in the world.' But, she says, this rich ecosystem and Unesco world heritage site could soon be lost. A consortium of oil majors led by the state-run energy company YPF, along with Shell and Chevron, is pushing ahead with plans for the country's largest crude oil export port and a fossil gas liquefaction ship in the gulf. Part of the Vaca Muerta Sur project, the infrastructure involves constructing a 271-mile (437km) pipeline, which is due to enter service in late 2026, from the Neuquén basin to an export terminal at Punta Colorada on the Atlantic coast. The pipeline is designed to transport 550,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 88,000 cubic metres, by 2027, with the possibility of increasing capacity to 700,000 bpd. There will be a storage facility able to hold 4m barrels and a large-capacity tanker will dock every five days. 'The oil companies are moving in, and nobody is talking about it,' Gaffet says. 'The situation is desperate.' Since taking office in 2023, President Javier Milei – a climate-crisis denier – has dismantled Argentina's environmental protection policies, abolished the environment ministry, cut funding and threatened to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. But those who object to the project warn of the potential for catastrophic consequences for local fauna, including the world's largest colony of Magellanic penguins. San Matías Gulf borders the Península Valdés protected area and nearby reserves, including Islote Lobos national park and Caleta de los Loros. 'It will have a disastrous impact on biodiversity, from the smallest marine life up to the whales and orcas,' says Gaffet. The primary concern is the threat of oil spills. María Raquel Perrier, a marine biologist, says oil ports are 'inherently dirty' and even the 'inevitable microspills' can deprive water of oxygen. 'These spills kill vulnerable species and disrupt the entire biodiversity system,' says Perrier. For example, oil strips the insulating qualities from the fur of sea otters, making them prone to hypothermia, and clogs up the feathers of birds, stopping them from flying. The gulf's semi-enclosed geography also means polluted water lingers, says Perrier, who warns that Argentina is ill-equipped to respond to potential spills. 'In one case earlier this year, we only found out [about a spill] because fishers said the sea had turned black,' she says. Diana Visintini, who runs whale-watching tours, says increased maritime traffic also raises the risk of collisions. 'We already see, from the scars on their backs, where propellers have hit whales in the outer seas. Imagine what could happen if oil traffic comes here,' she says. Once hunted to near extinction, southern right whales now number about 5,500 in the area. Visintini says studies in Massachusetts, in the US, show that oil tanker collisions are a major cause of the population decline of a similar species, the North Atlantic right whale. The Buenos Aires-based Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas has warned that industrial noise pollution in the gulf could further harm whales, hindering communication, creating chronic stress and disrupting migration patterns. Coastal communities dependent on fishing and tourism also feel threatened. Sergio Fernández, a 60-year-old fisher and guide, says: 'All the people living and working here, we are all at risk. Any spill will be huge; it will be a storm. The only people it won't affect are those who invest.' Oil spills contaminate water, air and food with toxic chemicals such as polyphenols and benzene, and can cause serious health problems. Cecilia Salcedo, a 44-year-old teacher, fears for her children, foreseeing 'a sea they can't swim in; a sea that's privatised, taken over by corporations'. Opponents of the project say they have been excluded from any debate. Fabricio Di Giacomo, 43, a resident who is a member of the San Matías Gulf collective, says only two public hearings have been held about the project. He adds that those opposed to the project have faced intimidation from locals who support it. He has footage of a hearing in the Río Negro town of Sierra Grande in 2023 when campaigners were blocked from entering. 'There were 10 or 15 men waiting for us outside,' he says. 'They said we couldn't be there and blocked the entrance so that we couldn't get in. 'I was officially registered to speak at the assembly. But these men were threatening me, saying they would kill me.' Gaffet and Visintini argue that the oil terminal should be moved to open waters. 'We're not saying they shouldn't extract the oil,' Gaffet says, 'just take it to the open sea at Viedma, or through Buenos Aires province, which already has a port.' 'Why should we sacrifice another area? Because they want to build the cheapest pipeline possible? The price is too high, to lose this nature so a few people get rich.' Shell did not respond to requests for comment. Chevron said YPF should comment on the case, as the Argentinian company was the leader of the consortium. YPF responded in a statement on behalf of the consortium, saying that the project would create thousands of jobs. 'At its peak, it will create over 5,000 direct jobs, as well as thousands of indirect jobs across related sectors.' The statement did not directly comment on the dangers of oil spills, but said an environmental impact study was approved by Río Negro's energy secretariat in 2024 and was subjected to a public hearing. YPF said: 'The study, carried out by two internationally recognised consultancies, involved various field surveys with the participation of up to 50 specialists, including terrestrial and marine biologists, fisheries engineers, oceanographers, sociologists, architects and others.' The Río Negro and Chubut provincial governments did not respond to requests for comment. But the Río Negro administration has previously said the project's impact would be 'moderate to low'. Meanwhile, Visintini and the local fishers have begun oil spill response training. 'We have to be prepared for what might happen,' Visintini says.
