Get to know us

Caro Cichero

Caro arrived in El Valle after half a lifetime in the corporate world — and quickly became the heart of everything here.

She’s a born leader and natural entrepreneur, not only running businesses but also guiding the community with vision and care. She’s brilliant at attracting the right people — the kind who fall in love with El Valle and end up shaping its future.

Caro is the creator and manager of El Valle Lodge, the most iconic hotel in the area, where you’ll find the best breakfast in town… with the best views in the jungle.

She loves to cook, to host, and to lead. Don’t challenge her to a game — unless she’s on your team.

Owner: El Valle Lodge, La Colmena, Roka Glamping

Adrián Fratila

Left the office life in Spain for love and never looked back.

A lifetime in tourism led him to launch The Bachata Retreat — now the most recognized bachata event in the country — which brings over 100 dancers from around the world to El Valle each year. Not bad for someone who still struggles to dance.

Adrián is obsessed with creating unforgettable experiences and bringing international attention to this small jungle town. Through Lamaca Travel, he’s turned El Valle into a destination on the map — and the jungle into a home for global communities.

He’s addicted to strong coffee, always thinking five steps ahead, and completely in love with his jungle dog, Coco, whom he adopted here in El Valle.

Owner: Lamaca Travel, Casa Caona

Our history

We each started out on our own, responding to a growing demand in the area: visitors weren’t just coming to enjoy El Valle — they wanted to invest in it and be part of its development.

Carolina was running the most successful eco-hotel in the region, a pioneering project in sustainability and design. Adrián was leading the travel agency that brings more tourists to El Valle each year than any other. Both of us were fully committed to tourism — but from different angles.

When we decided to join forces, we quickly realized we could do much more than just share cleaning staff or optimize operations. We saw the opportunity to co-create a long-term development plan for the entire area — one that supports the right kind of tourism: thoughtful, regenerative, and deeply connected to place.

But none of this would be possible without the incredible friends we now call family. We come from different countries, backgrounds, and paths — yet we’re united by a common mission: giving El Valle the future it deserves. Every one of us is involved in this project, and together we are building something much bigger than ourselves.