Inside Colombia’s luxury wellness island: a little piece of heaven by the sea

Imagine this. You arrive in the Caribbean city of Cartagena, a place steeped in art, history and culture at every turn. The next morning, you’re whisked away by private boat to a super-luxurious island – your base for the next four days. 

This is the beginning of Flash Pack’s Colombia: Island Recharge trip, a unique escape that’s been designed to help small groups of solo travelers unwind surrounded by wild island beauty. I’m Tata Umaña, an energy mentor, and I’ll be leading the retreat – I’ll be guiding people to gently relax their bodies and their minds.

The first thing I want you to know is that this is a place where you can really feel at home and be yourself. People have lots of preconceptions about wellness, but the retreat we’ve created is designed to be fun and relaxed. You don’t have to be an expert in kundalini yoga, or meditate for 20 minutes a day, in order to take part. 

This is your invitation to reset in a secluded natural environment

Rather, we expect that guests will arrive from all walks of life; and with a shared intention to unplug from the world. This is an invitation to put down whatever you might have been carrying for a short while, and reset in a secluded natural environment.

Our remote island is set deep in the heart of the Islas del Rosario. Guests will stay in ocean-facing bungalows, each one beautifully designed with its own private hot tub. The suites are spread across the island’s untouched coastline, creating plenty of room for reflection and time in nature. At night, we’ll have the entire island exclusively to ourselves. 

Turtles and monkeys also reside on the island, and you may spot them as you wander about. There’s even a little library in the middle of the retreat, where people can grab a book and wallow in hammocks, or nap on alfresco sofas. We also have a gorgeous deck area for yoga, sound healing and, hopefully, some silent dance. 

The trip is designed so you don’t have to worry about a thing

The entire set-up is designed so you don’t have to worry about a thing. From the moment you step foot on the island, everything will be smooth and easy. Your bungalow will be waiting for you, and you’ll have a friendly team of experts on-hand to help you unwind and let go.

This includes some of the best chefs in the region, who’ll prepare a daily selection of traditional dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Whether it’s fresh passion fruit smoothies, locally sourced veggie bowls or Caribbean-style shrimp ceviche with lime juice, you can expect your time on the island to be filled with delicious local appetizers and treats.

We’ll have so many soothing activities on offer, too, from breathwork and sunrise yoga on the beach to paddle boarding and mangrove planting. One of the retreat’s signature experiences is a Flash Pack exclusive: a sunset sound bath in the sea. We’ll use floating inflatables in a protected part of the ocean, with crystal bowls creating a soft chorus of sound in tempo with the waves. 

Healing experiences include ocean sound baths and sunrise yoga

It’s a deeply healing ritual that works in sync with the natural cycles of the day. It creates a feeling of zero gravity and, afterward, people always sleep amazingly.

Then we have our fireside cacao ceremony, which takes place with guided breathwork and music. Everyone arrives with a different kind of energy, but the cacao practice is all about allowing us to decompress and align as a group. It gives room for people to stretch into themselves – expanding their minds and opening their hearts.

As for me, Tata, I’ll be guiding and supporting these experiences as Pack Leader throughout your stay. It’s a slightly different role from Flash Pack’s typical Pack Leaders: it’s more of a light touch, with a free-flowing structure. I’ll always be present and available if you need me, but in a gentle way. My role is to facilitate a subtle feeling of trust and connection, moving in rhythm with each group. 

Amazing things happen when you come together in nature

Although we have a loose schedule of experiences to follow, I also plan to go with the flow: adapting the pace depending on the energy of each group. The idea is to create a setting that feels right and natural for everyone involved. 

I’ve been practising holistic healing for over 25 years now, and I’m one of Colombia’s best-known energy mentors. I’m trained in Integrated Energy Therapy, yoga, Ayurveda, Reiki and more. But, at the same time, I don’t take myself too seriously. I can chat to anyone about anything. And I know wellness comes in many different forms – the main purpose being simply to come back to yourself. 

Connection with others is important, too. When Flash Pack told me about their global community, and their mission to create lasting friendships between solo travelers, I got goosebumps. I think I was born to connect with people: it’s a core part of my “why”. 

This about finding connection and a new, lighter way of being

When you encounter a community that’s searching for the same kind of connection, you begin to feel lighter. You realize you don’t have to carry everything alone. I’ve seen this process happen time and again, and I’m confident it’ll play out during our Colombian island reset.

Amazing things can happen when you come together, quietly, in nature. And when you’re surrounded by a small group of people who share similar values and intentions. Slowly but surely, you forget where you’re from and what you’re carrying.

I see this transition take shape all the time. Some people arrive at a retreat very tense and tightly wound, then, hour by hour, they soften. They become less guarded. Sometimes you can physically see someone’s nervous system relax in their posture, or the way that they hold their face. Or people might tell me they feel lighter, or a headache has disappeared. It’s these kinds of subtle changes that count.

Guests can expect a special, elegant and soulful journey

The Colombia: Island Recharge trip is a special, elegant and soulful experience in itself. But it’s also just the beginning of the journey. The point of the retreat is to help people return home with tools that they can continue to use in their everyday lives. 

I call it their new vinyasa; their new way of living. It might be about sleeping a bit better or breathing more deeply. In this way, the retreat is like an emotional declutter. It creates space for new daily practices; small habits that can completely change your life. 

Tata Umaña is an energy mentor and holistic healing specialist based in the Colombian city of Cartagena. She is also the host of the Colombia: Island Recharge trip launching in summer 2026. The adventure is part of Flash Pack’s new Pause collection of slower, mindful journeys designed to help the always-on generation unwind and reconnect.