Lost City Trek
Four days on foot through the jungle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to Teyuna, the ancient city of the Tairona people hidden in the mountains of Colombia.
- Duration
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Group size
- up to 8 people
The Lost City trek is one of the most famous hikes in Colombia. Teyuna, also known as Ciudad Perdida, is an archaeological site of the ancient Tairona civilization, whose descendants, including the Kogi people, still live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. Over four days, you’ll hike about 45 km through tropical rainforest, wade across mountain rivers, swim in natural pools and learn about Indigenous culture from the people themselves. It’s a mix of culture, anthropology and adventure, just like in treasure-hunting movies: challenging at times, but packed with experiences, beautiful and fascinating.
Teyuna was founded around 800 AD, about 650 years before Machu Picchu. It was the main political and craft center of the Tairona civilization on the Buritaca River: 169 stone terraces, paved paths and circular plazas, home to an estimated 2,000 to 8,000 people. In the 16th century, after the Spanish arrived, the Tairona left the city, and the jungle hid it for almost four hundred years. The outside world only learned about Teyuna in 1972, when treasure hunters stumbled upon it. Yet the Kogi say they knew about the city all along and visited it, but kept it a secret.
Price:
- 1,400 USD per person for a group of 2
- 1,200 USD per person for a group of 3
- 1,000 USD per person for a group of 4
Included:
- An English-speaking guide throughout the trek
- The Lost City trek with a local guide
- Accommodation in wooden cabins at the camps
- Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Transfer from your hotel in Santa Marta to the trailhead and back
Not included:
- Flights to Santa Marta
- Hotel stay after the tour
Program
1 Starting the Trek in the Sierra Nevada
The starting point is Santa Marta on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. We’ll drive by jeep to the trailhead. On the first day, we’ll hike about 7.5 km to the first camp, at 450 meters above sea level. Overnight in simple wooden cabins.
2The Jungle, the Buritaca River and the Kogi People
After breakfast, the longest hike of the trek: 14.7 km to the second camp. Along the way, we’ll swim in the Buritaca River and meet the Kogi, one of four Indigenous peoples considered descendants of the ancient Tairona civilization. The Kogi will tell us about their culture and close connection with nature. They see themselves as the guardians of the Earth’s balance, and their traditions are striking in their depth and in how they keep harmony between people, plants and animals. Overnight at a camp at 800 meters.
3Teyuna, the Lost City: the Highlight of the Trek
We’ll climb 1,200 stone steps to Teyuna. Hidden in the jungle, the city remained unknown to the outside world for centuries. We’ll take in the stone terraces and try to imagine what this place looked like more than a thousand years ago, when it was the main political and cultural center of the Tairona people. After visiting the city, we’ll head back: about 10 km to the camp.
4Return to Santa Marta
We’ll hike about 13 km to the end of the trail. On the way, you can take a dip in cool mountain rivers, enjoy the scenery one last time and, if you’re lucky, spot toucans, monkeys, lizards and butterflies. Then we’ll drive back to Santa Marta by jeep.
