Parklife Hostel: Who we are

ParkLife Hostel was opened in May 2011 by a Spanish and Romanian couple, named Borja & Luiza. Afterward in Febrary 2012 an Irishman with the name of Kieran joined them in the quiz to make a nice, homely and cozy hostel in Popayan.

Borja & Luiza: ParkLife Hostel Part 1

After living and working for big companies in London, Bucharest, Prague and Guatemala, they decided to found their own company.
One of the plans was to open a hostel as they had travelled extensivily throughout LatinAmerica and Europe before and started to like the idea of having their own place. After months of planning they started looking for a place to get things going.
They started travelling in the South-East Asia region, and finished back in to the new land as it seems Latin America has put a spell on them. After some more months of travelling in Colombia, they have finally arrived to Popayan, this little town that screamed “HOME”.

Kieran: ParkLife Hostel Part 2

Kieran joined us at ParkLife first as a volunteer and then as a dedicated owner since February 2012. He has also lived in different places during his life: Amsterdam, Barcelona or Cork. His favorite dish: Spanish tortilla.
So far he has no regrets!

Why Popayan?

Popayan is a beautiful example of colonial city located on the way to other important Colombian tourist destination such as Cali, San Agustin or Salento. The White City, as it is called has been declared one of the Colombian national marvels due to its splendid beauty, the Easter week is world wide famous together with it's prized gastronomy. Moreover it can serve as a good base to visit Tierradentro, Silvia, Puracé, San Agustín or Coconuco.

Parklife Hostel: Facilities

ParkLife Hostel @ Popayan is located in a beautiful colonial buiding facing the main square. As described in the Lonely Planet 2012 edition: " You’d be hard pressed to find a hostel with a better location than Parklife – it’s attached to the cathedral wall. The house has plenty of its original style; there are wood  floors, chandeliers and antique furniture. It’s an atmospheric place – you can hear the church choir from the communal atrium. The front rooms have superb views over Parque Caldas".

As travellers we as well know the importance of facilities in making your life easier and your trip cheaper. So we have a fully equiped communal kitchen, book exchange, free wifi, free luggage storage, tourist information about Popayan, the sorounding area and Colombia, laundry service, cold beers, snacks, music and movies exchange, quiet and relax atmosfere, movie room with more than 400 movies, light and spacious common areas, etc.