Take A Journey With… Portia Hart – Blue Apple Beach

Hidden away on the southern shore of the island of Tierra Bomba, the certified B-Corp hotel is somewhere where like-minded locals and in-the-know visitors enjoy lazy days.

Portia started the Blue Apple Beach after moving to Colombia 10 years ago, leaving behind Monaco and the South of France with a career amidst a world of yachts, glamour and luxury.

What was started from a desire to make a beach club that she could personally escape to, has now become a venture focused on sustainability, connecting visitors with locals and a place where you can have the best fun.

All a bit formal, that. So tell us something about you that not a lot of people know.

I have (mild) prosopagnosia, which means I have no memory for faces.

Everyone says “I’m awful with names but I never forget a face.” Not I.

Even when I pick up my parents at the airport I’m slightly nervous I won’t recognise them.

If I’m not expecting to see you, I’ll probably walk right past you.

Working in a people industry like hospitality is… challenging. As you can imagine, I’m always apologising to people, but I’ll never, ever be offended if you forget me.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Why did you start Blue Apple Beach? What problem did you seek to solve?

I had recently arrived in Cartagena and I was on a sabbatical, trying to work out the next steps.

Beyond learning Spanish, I didn’t have a plan, but I thought I could spend my days at the beach studying. I was looking for a beach club where I could escape the heat of the city and the intense vendors on the public beaches.

When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, there was one obvious solution… Let’s say the problem was purely selfish. I had no intention of saving the world or helping anyone but myself. I just hoped that there were others like me who might become clients.

Blue Apple Beach is part of the tourism movement to break down divides between what is local and foreign. How do you do this? And why is this important? 

I grew up with a mother who was an immigrant, the only person of colour in the village. I’m not Colombian but I live here.

I am foreign and I am local. The two are not mutually exclusive.

All my favourite restaurants in the UK were ‘any-cuisine-but-British-please’, and so my thinking was that an international beach club in Cartagena might appeal to local people desperate for something different.

To me, the most ‘authentic’ places are the ones where you’re going to meet people who live in the place you’re visiting, not the ones serving up cookie-cutter culture.

When I travel I’m delighted by similarities as much as by differences. Foreign / local feels a bit “them vs us” to me. Generally, humans are better towards each other when we think we are part of the same group.

What would you say is the biggest motivator behind why you do what you do? And what impact does Blue Apple Beach aim to have?

My drivers have changed so much since we opened Blue Apple. Initially, I just wanted a place to eat good food, listen to music and drink rosé (basic, much?).

Running Blue Apple where it is though, highlighted how much is wrong with the way tourism (and the world) is set up, but also how easy it is to change things to benefit everyone. It was a huge reality check, a life lesson and a challenge all rolled into one.

Now I try to make Blue Apple a place where you can have the best fun, and at the same time realise that there’s a positive impact behind it. I don’t believe guilt is a good motivator, nor is privation or criticism.

Drink that rosé! Then recycle the bottle.

Congratulations on receiving a grant for your sustainability programme! Tell us more about this. What impact will this have on Blue Apple Beach?

Back when we opened, there was no municipal trash collection on this island. Every gram of trash was an expense and so we got really good at minimising it (not because we’re good samaritans but because we were broke).

It turned out that no one was doing what we were doing, so now with $90,000 in grants, we’re expanding our glass recycling operation to be able to manage the glass waste of up to 200 local businesses.

It’s really simple: We take glass that’s destined for landfill and we either crush it into sand (which can then be used in construction, filtration or sandblasting) or have it made into glassware or candles, for example.

The simple-but-genius part of it is that it creates jobs without using more resources, reduces landfill, provides an alternative to quarrying and has a net zero cash flow impact for partners (as a non-profit, contributions are tax deductible, and most partners collect additional donations from customers as well). Expansion will have no direct impact on Blue Apple, other than living and operating in a cleaner city – another win!

You’ve previously said that your location makes sustainability a challenge. How have you managed to combat this? And what advice would you give to other business owners who feel they can’t be truly sustainable due to obstacles?

Show me a business owner who hasn’t overcome a hundred obstacles and I’ll show you a rainbow unicorn. That’s what we do!

Whether you’re tackling sustainability or not just yet, it depends which obstacles get priority. In my case, we had to solve certain problems and we then realised the solution was ‘sustainable’ and we started to talk about it.

My advice would be: Don’t underestimate how much your clients, suppliers, employees, the travel press and you, yourself, will like it when you do the right thing. I still have no idea what “truly sustainable” looks like but it doesn’t keep me awake at night.

I do what I can, when I can, with what I have. 1% better is still better.

Don’t take on anything you don’t think you can handle and go one step at a time, celebrating every little win. It will take you on a journey you weren’t expecting and it will give you a story to tell (that everyone wants to hear).

Be honest – what has been your biggest challenge since starting Blue Apple Beach?

Bureaucracy is far and away the worst thing about living and working in Colombia. Endless and meaningless paperwork causes confusion and delays for everyone. It means even a small business must employ an army of auditors, legal advisors and box tickers, or face the reality of crippling fines for bungling paperwork.

This stems from a need to formalise the economy against a backdrop of corruption and misappropriation of funds, but it often has the opposite effect. I miss the British way of doing business with a handshake and plenty of good faith!

Tell us about one marketing approach that has worked really well for you.

Back when we opened, we couldn’t afford models and photoshoots so we put people of all shapes, colours, sizes, genders and orientations on our social media and website – because that was who we had.

At the time, it felt like every other ‘luxury’ property in the Global South was only marketing to straight, white, thin couples.

Guess what: people of all shapes, colours, sizes, genders and orientations started to walk through the door. An accidental success, and a real ‘D’uh’ moment.

Now, think back to 10 years ago, what is one piece of advice you’d give past you?

I wouldn’t.

I’m where I am because I didn’t follow anyone’s advice (‘get a job doing something you know, in a language you speak, in a place with running water.’ Do. Not. Move. To. Colombia.)

My advice to my past and future self is to carry right on leaping before you look because if you stop to think, you’ll realise there are a million reasons not to do it. What a shame.

Fast forward again. What do you think has been the most important strategy, value or approach that has helped you get to where you are today?

If I don’t want to do something (sensible job or a normal life), I don’t. But once I have decided to do something, I do not give up.

My motivation has never been money, fame or power, which to me are not goals, but consequences. I will do something because I think I should (very often resulting in less money, no fame and giving up power).

That authentic conviction inspires trust and has led people to believe in me, even if what I am doing is, in fact, completely mad. I couldn’t have gotten anywhere without the people around me so that stubbornness has its upside.

We know that travel is ever-evolving, but what trends or strategies do you believe will be key in driving positive change in the coming years?

I want to see an end to abusive, extractive tourism where places are treated as nothing but entertainment or escape with no thought to who lives there.

Agents, DMCs, operators and hotels that educate their clients on how to have a positive impact will be the ones that will earn love and loyalty from the communities in which they operate.

Quick Fire

• Favourite travel destination I’ve visited: Do you have a favourite child?
• Travel destination still on my bucket list: I should have said ‘no more bucket lists’ when answering about trends I dream of. I am very excited about a horse riding safari in Botswana next year though.
• Destination that I wouldn’t return to: Tulum. In fact if you ask, I’ll deny I was ever even there.
• Most treasured travel memory: I do a big trip once a year with my father since his 75th birthday and every moment feels like a privilege.

About The Author...

Tom McLoughlin

Founder

Tom is here to steer the ship in the right direction, to ensure what we offer is best in class, and to keep clients and the team happy! Naturally, he loves to travel, but Honduras is a favourite destination after having spent a year there teaching after finishing school.