Casa Manantial is built around a traditional central courtyard with shaded seating areas on the ground floor also featuring a courtyard pool and wooden balustraded and beamed galleries on the upper floor, the layout of this grand house has more than a little magic. An abundance of greenery is a recurrent theme too, not just on the patio but in almost every room, chiming perfectly with the casa’s numerous botanical and zoological artworks.
The enormous master suite has a spectacular double-height wooden beamed ceiling and suspended fans. This impressively long room straddles the courtyard below, with windows on either side. There is a further double and also a twin on the same floor as the master, with two further doubles on the ground floor, all rooms are ensuite.
Casa Manantial is one of Maven’s three restored old town mansions, each an oasis of calm and privacy tucked behind discreet high walls on the achingly romantic historic streets. These privately owned homes are steeped in history, from the days when Cartagena was at the centre of a global quest for gold and emeralds. Individually owned by members of the same family, the three houses – just two minutes’ walk apart – are cool, elegant, boltholes with refined tropical décor, abundant greenery and laidback, barefoot appeal.
Service in all the properties is discreet, cosseting and pre-emptive, ensuring that guests need not lift a finger during their stay. The proximity of the houses to one another makes them the ideal choice for multi-generational groups holidaying together, but for whom privacy is at a premium.
