No. Casita, the Madrigal family’s magical house in Disney’s Encanto, is fictional. Traditional homes in Barichara, Cartagena, and Salento helped shape its design. Coffee-region haciendas inspired the way it opens to the outdoors. The courtyard lined with magical doors was the filmmakers’ own addition. (Disney News)
An imagined house opened to show its inner courtyard, a key space in Casita’s design. AI-generated editorial illustration.
| In Encanto | Where the idea came from | Real-world connection |
|---|---|---|
| Casita, the Madrigal house | Traditional Colombian homes of Barichara, Cartagena and Salento | Three real Colombian towns, with no single house named |
| The indoor-outdoor feel | Coffee-region haciendas, as explained by Colombian architects. The courtyard with the magical doors was the designers’ addition | A common building type, not one address |
| The film’s idea of an encanto | Places of natural wonder the team encountered in Colombia | The team’s 2018 trip included the Valle de Cocora, a real valley near Salento |
What real homes inspired Casita?
Associate production designer Lorelay Bové names three towns. At street level, compare Barichara’s tiled roofs, Cartagena’s projecting balconies, and Salento’s painted trim. These photos show the towns Disney names. Bové credits their traditional homes collectively (Disney News).
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The indoor-outdoor feel came from expert advice. Bové says the team spoke with Colombian architects early on and learned that many haciendas in the coffee region have an indoor-outdoor feel because of the weather. The designers added that feel to the house, along with a courtyard where you can see all the magical doors.
The kitchen got its own research. Bové says consultants steered the team toward a more neutral palette, and the designers added props found in a Colombian kitchen: a molinillo for stirring hot chocolate, a corn grinder and La Chamba clay pottery (Disney News).
Where did the Encanto team travel in Colombia?
Disney says the creative team went to Colombia in 2018. They visited Bogotá and Cartagena, small towns including Barichara, Salento and Palenque, and natural landmarks such as the Valle de Cocora (Disney News).
The trip also gave the film its title. In Colombia, the team encountered encantos, places of natural wonder with heightened spirituality. Director Byron Howard says the idea fit what they were looking for: a way to bring magic into the film that felt specific to Latin America.
Why is there no single real Casita?
Because the house is a character as much as a building. Co-director Charise Castro Smith describes a breakthrough when the team realised that, in an encanto, the house itself could have powers. Disney’s sources describe a blend of house styles from three towns, so any one home presented as “the real Casita” goes beyond what the studio has said (Disney News).
Can you visit the places behind Encanto?
You can visit the towns and the Valle de Cocora in the municipality of Salento. Colombia’s official tourism guide describes the valley’s tall wax palms and walking trail (Colombia Travel).
The coffee region also gives context for the building type. The garden at Hacienda Venecia and the berries at Hacienda Guayabal show the landscape and crop around working coffee estates.
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Barichara, Cartagena, and Salento are lived-in towns. View private homes from the street.
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