HOW THE DISNEY MOVIE “ENCANTO” IN COLOMBIA WAS INSPIRED BY HACIENDA BAMBUSA AND CASA YAHRI
Colombia’s latest tourism boom has had its help in many forms. It was the first country in Latin America to reach pre-pandemic levels of international tourism arrivals, and the Disney movie Encanto was a major help in this.
The timing of the film’s release in 2021 meant that kids stuck at home in front of screens during the pandemic watched the movie repeatedly and developed a new fascination with the magic that Colombia provides as a destination, perhaps in stark contrast to their parents who grew up during a time when Colombia was plagued with problems that culminated in the 1990s, now some 20+ years in the past.
In 2019, the creative team from Disney Studios was sent to Colombia to seek artistic inspiration for the upcoming film Encanto. The travel arrangements for this Disney team were organized by Kate Doty of the San Francisco-based tour operator Geographic Expeditions, who has a long history of pioneering trips in Colombia and was one of the first international travel companies to discover and start using Hacienda Bambusa as their preferred lodging for guests in Colombia’s coffee region.
The Disney team used both Hacienda Bambusa and Casa Yahri as bases of operation during their inspiration trip for Encanto. In the images below, we can see how Hacienda Bambusa was eventually turned into the magical Casa Madrigal, and how the village of Barichara where Casa Yahri is located set the scene for village life in the film.
The images above clearly denote architectural attributes such as the bell tower, central courtyard with railings, cantilevered eves, and red roof tiles. As well as the tropical foliage of overflowing bougainvillea and tall, slender wax palms, which are native to the region.
The character of Camilo Madrigal in the movie Encanto was inspired by the real life Camilo Garcia, the house guide at Hacienda Bambusa who is a favorite of all guests for his warm smile, deep local knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for Colombia. In the second row of images we can see the intricate woodwork of the window coverings at Hacienda Bambusa next to an image of Maribel Madrigal in the Encanto movie where the woodwork was perfectly replicated. Lastly, Hacienda Bambusa brings a trio of local musicians to play for guest during special al fresco dinners at the Hacienda, and this experience of the artistic team was also brought to life in the movie.
The images above show the charming village of Barichara in the Santander Province of Colombia where Casa Yahri is located. The Disney team said about Barichara: “It’s like a town lost in time, which is really what we wanted to do with our film, to have it feel timeless and inviting to others. Barichara is a place where it probably looks the same today as it did 100 years ago and it feels like you're transported to a different era.”
If you would like to take your kids to live the real world Encanto experience, and have an amazing time yourself - consider a trip to Colombia with a stay at both Hacienda Bambusa and Casa Yahri. They might even get to meet Camilo in person!