Overview
The Lost City Trek
The Lost City Trek to Ciudad Perdida was definitely one of THE highlights of my Colombia round trip. Four days, at 35° C and 90% humidity, once through the jungle of the Sierra Nevada to find it: the lost city. What makes it so special? Unlike Macchu Picchu, the ruined city can only be reached on foot. Accordingly, there is still relatively little going on here and the Lost City Trek to Ciudad Perdida is still almost an insider tip for adventurers in Colombia. In this blog post, I share my personal Lost City Trek experiences, important information and helpful tips.
Ciudad Perdida
The Ciudad Perdida (‘Lost City’) is an impressive relic of a long-gone culture. The ruined city is located in the middle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, around 40 km south-east of Santa Marta. Alongside Macchu Picchu, Ciudad Perdida is one of the largest and most impressive historical cities in South America.
The archaeological remains consist of oval terraces, squares, stairs and paths that are up to 1,200 years old. The Lost City was once the political and religious center of the Tayrona culture and later fell into oblivion. It was not until 1972 that the city was rediscovered and looted by grave robbers before it was later extensively reconstructed and restored by archaeologists. The Lost City was then made accessible to tourists.
To this day, the Ciudad Perdida is an important part of Colombian history and culture and attracts thousands of visitors every year who want to learn more about the ancient civilization.
As descendants of the Tayrona, the Kogi still live in the Sierra Nevada today. The Ciudad Perdida is a sacred place for them and you will encounter them regularly during the hike.
The hike to Ciudad Perdida
If you want to see the Lost City with your own eyes, there is only one option: a hike lasting several days. But that is exactly what makes it so special and appealing. There are six officially registered tour operators in Santa Marta (you can’t do without one) who offer the Lost City Trek. I booked with Expotur on the basis of some recommendations in Santa Marta and was totally satisfied. The trek takes 4 days as standard, but you can also extend it to 5 days. I opted for the 4‑day hike.
Lost City Trek — Day 1:
The first day starts at 9 a.m. at the Expotur office in Santa Marta. Here I got to know my hiking group for the next few days and our guide Antonio before we are driven to the starting point of our hike, the village of El Mamey. After a delicious lunch, we set off on the 3–4 hour hike to the first camp. We climb over 500 meters in altitude at over 30°C before having to descend a few meters to the first camp. We were already sweating after just a few minutes, but the first views of the lush green mountains of the Sierra Nevada made up for the initial effort. The watermelons offered along the way are always happily accepted by my group. When we reach our first camp in the early evening, we can take a dip in the river and round off the evening with a delicious meal. By 8 p.m. we are all tired and fall into our beds.
Lost City Trek — Day 2
The day starts early. Our guide Antonio wakes us up at 5:00 am, we have breakfast at 5:30 am and the longest and most strenuous hiking day of the entire trek starts at 6:00 am. There is a lot of uphill and we will cover a total of 18 kilometers today.
But today’s stage is not boring either. We take regular breaks and keep coming across indigenous people and their villages. At one stop, an indigenous man explains their customs and traditions to us in more detail, e.g. how they mix and chew coca leaves with mussel powder. We have lunch at the second camp before heading on to the third camp in the afternoon, which is closest to the Lost City. As on the previous day, everyone went to bed at around 8 p.m., as we all wanted to be fit and well-rested the next day.
Lost City Trek — Day 3
Today is the day of days! Getting up was therefore a little easier, as we were already within reach of our destination: the Lost City. We left the camp at 6 a.m. on the dot and set off again. After a first stage of hiking, we had to cross the Rio Buritaca and then climb 1200 steps until we finally reached it: The Lost City. Happy, sweaty and tired, we soak up the first impressions of the ancient ruins before our guide Antonio explains everything before leading us through the Lost City.
Little by little, we explore the Lost City while our guide patiently explains everything to us. We deliberately take our time, as Antonio, our guide, obviously had a plan .… He wanted to take our group to the main square and the famous photo spot from where the Lost City lies at your feet. And we succeeded. We have the entire Lost City and the best view all to ourselves. And while we take in the view and everyone takes their photos, our guide arrives with a delicious snack platter. Wow! What a picnic spot and the grins on my group’s faces were hard to beat. Because this is exactly what we were out for!
Mamo and his family still live on the outskirts of Ciudad Perdida. He is the leader of the Kogi tribe (the descendants of the Tayrona) and is the only one who has the right to live there. Unfortunately, we don’t meet him in person, but we do meet one of his daughters, who gives us an armand each.
We are back at camp for lunch before continuing on our way back. And then, in the afternoon, the time has come: it starts to rain! We get wet for the first time on our hike and by the time we get back to camp it’s clear that these clothes won’t dry. But I’m glad that we only got wet on the way back and not on the way there.
Lost City Trek — Day 4
The last day of hiking is upon us. We have another good stretch ahead of us until the afternoon, until we are back in the village of El Mamey, where we started on the first day. When we reach the village, we are all overjoyed and enjoy a cold beer and a delicious lunch before heading back to Santa Marta by jeep.
My conclusion on the Lost City Trek
For me, the trek to the Lost City was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Colombia and it really was a unique experience. The whole day in nature, from early in the morning until late at night, whatever the weather, without any cell phone reception. That made up for all the effort. I also never expected to learn so much about the indigenous peoples along the way and the Ciudad Perdida itself was of course really great.
To be honest, I had expected the trek to be more physically challenging or push me to my limits. With hindsight, I can say that anyone with a good basic level of fitness should be able to complete the trek without any problems.
So if you fancy an experience off the beaten track, enjoy being out in nature and want to challenge yourself a little physically, the Lost City Trek is definitely a highlight.
Costs & Provider Lost City Trek
There are six officially registered tour operators in Santa Marta (you can’t do without one) that offer the Lost City Trek. The price is the same for all providers and is COP 1,750,000 (~ €350.00; 02/2023) including travel, accommodation, meals, guide and entrance fee. There shouldn’t be much difference in terms of performance. Based on some recommendations in Santa Marta, I booked with Expotur and was totally satisfied. The hike lasts 4 days as standard, but you can also extend it to 5 days. I opted for the 4‑day hike.
- Costs (4 days): 1,750,000 COP (~ approx. 350€; 03/2023)
- Provider: Expotur
Equipment & packing list Lost City Trek
As you carry your luggage with you non-stop during the entire hike, you should think carefully about what is absolutely essential and pack as little as possible. Here is an overview of the most important items and my tips.
- Trekking backpack* with max. 35 l, don’t forget a suitable rain cover!
- waterproof trekking shoes with a good profile, since there are always sections of the trail that are muddy and there are rivers to cross or it can rain
- Merino clothing not only dries quickly but also does not stink
- Mosquito spray, I had bought a local mosquito spray in Colombia which protected me well
- Silk sleeping bag, I found it very practical for hygienic reasons, as I was not so sure how clean the blankets, sheets and pillows really were
Dry bags were also very practical for keeping dry clothes separate from damp ones.
Note for the ladies: Do NOT take leggings with you to sleep in. You will never be able to dry yourself 100% after showering and putting on leggings when your skin is damp is a real challenge.
Shoes
- Trekking shoes*
- Flip Flops
Clothing
- 4x (merino) T‑shirts*
- 2x sports bra*
- 2 hiking pants (1x zip pants and one short)
- 4x underpants
- 4x hiking socks*
- T‑shirt and sweatpants for the evening and for sleeping (I don’t recommend leggings!)
- 1x sweater for the evening
- 1x rain jacket/ rain cape
Miscellaneous
- 1x bikini/ swimming trunks
- 1x sun cap*
- Sunglasses
- Microfiber towel*
- Water bottle (1 liter)
- Drybags*& plastic bags
- Headlamp
- Silk sleeping bag*
- Powerbank & camera
Hygiene articles
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Comb/ hairbrush
- Shower gel & shampoo
- Mosquito spray (Nopikex)
- Sunscreen
Best time to travel for the Lost City Trek
In principle, the Lost City Trek can be done all year round and is also offered all year round. However, there is a rainy and a dry season. The dry season, from December to March, tends to be more suitable as the rainfall is usually shorter and less intense. In addition, the rivers carry less water, making some of the crossings easier. However, it also rains regularly in the dry season, and I haven’t heard of any groups staying completely dry in March either.
During the rainy season from April to November, the rainfall is usually more intense and the paths are even muddier.
