Hotel Mastranto

We just got back from a four day stay at Hotel Mastranto. What an incredible family vacation! Let me tell you why… The property itself is beautiful. It is far from the highway, so the only sounds you hear are natural. There is no music blared at the pool, all too common in many hotels. There are some special parts. The creek has a natural pool built as a swimming hole. There is a waterfall and we saw about ten fish swimming downstream. It is clean and fresh. There are two swimming pools. The main pool is large, impeccably clean (cleaned every day), and has a nice shallow area around the edge. The kids’ pool is round and perfect for the little ones learning to swim. There is also a natural lagoon with a walking path around it. We probably walked around it eight times. There are many kinds of flowers, turtles, and at least one alligator (we saw its snout and eye poking out of the water) in the lagoon. It is perfect for sunrise strolls. There is a farm connected to the property. We woke up to watch the workings of the farm: milking the cows, calves reunited with mothers to feed, turkeys, parrots, goats, and chickens. It would be great if they trained David, the farmer, to allow children to help with these tasks. The restaurant is clearly clean (open air kitchen) and serves delicious food. We had mojarra (fish), chicken breast, lentils, vegetable soup, breakfast with freshly prepared arepas, and lemonade. It is served in a giant open air space with a roof, so you dine with views of the lagoon and the pool. The entire hotel is lush and green. One guest saw an owl perched on the volleyball pole on evening. Walking to the creek, we saw a bright green iguana, which we observed for a few minutes. They offer horseback riding, and there are two horses grazing freely on the farm. The service is spectacular. Maria is a great host who attended to our every need. Travelling with a one-year-old and a small boy isn’t easy. They made it easier. The rooms are a bit small, but after a day walking and exploring, we didn’t need a huge space. The beds are comfortable, and the rooms are spotless. We will definitely be back to Mastranto, a very special spot in Los Llanos. It is about 15 minutes from Villavicencio, close to Tiuma Park.