The Lost City trek is a four-day hike through the Colombian jungle. It is around 28 miles round trip and will be hot, humid, and strenuous. The Lost City is absolutely beautiful and an important site for the Colombian people and their history, but do not expect grand ruins such as Machu Picchu. However, during the trek you will learn about the indigenous people that inhabit this land. There are 4 tribes, but you will be passing through only two of their territories. These two are known as the Wiwas and the Koguis.
You will also have the opportunity to witness stunning scenery throughout, listen to exotic birds, swim in clear waters, forge friendships, and discover this ancient site that the Tairona people had created 600 years before Machu Picchu was made by the Incans.
The Basics:
What to pack:
- Mosquito repellent is an absolute must. You will be in the Colombian jungle so therefore you will need to be equipped with lots of repellent against these monstrous pests.
- Sunscreen. You won’t always be hidden amongst the trees and vines of the forest.
- Quick drying towel.
- A decent backpack.
- 4 lightweight shirts (preferably quick drying), 4 pairs of shorts, 4 pairs of socks, and one pair of longer pants.
- Hiking shoes and then also a pair of sandals for hanging around camp.
- A hat.
- A little bit of cash if you want to buy any souvenirs or extra snacks.
- A swimsuit for enjoying the rivers.
What to know before you go:
You cannot do this trek without a guide. There are five companies you can book through, and they all have the same set price tag. I used Magic Tour and I recommend them as well.
Oficial Operator of Lost City | Magic Tour Colombia Agency
Travel Agency in Colombia | Indigenous Tourism | Wiwa Tours
Ciudad Perdida – Teyuna Tours – Tour Operador del trek
The best trek to ciudad perdida lost city ➤Santa Marta Colombia🏔️ (expotur-eco.com)
Turcol – Trekking, Playas y Cultura – Turismo Caribe Colombiano
You may want to get some vaccinations before the trek as well. The Sierra Nevada mountains are a yellow fever area.
Day One:
Since my tour was with Magic Tour, this is what my experience was like with them. I was picked up and shuttled to the central office in Santa Marta. There I signed some papers, paid the rest of my bill, and then indulged in some fresh watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupe they had set up for us. Afterwards, we were put in a tiny van with our backpacks we would be hauling along. Magic Tour safely stored away our other luggage. Trust me you will want to pack as light as possible.
After two hours of driving, we made it where a 4×4 vehicle came in handy. We had a 45-minute bumpy ride to the small town of El Mamey. There we enjoyed a lunch, learned what to expect on our route, and then headed off. The walking started through the dusty village passing grazing cattle, motorbikes, and dirt roads. Our first hill to climb came upon us soon and with no shade, we trudged our way up. It was steep and strenuous, but we had the opportunity to take quite a few breaks for fresh squeezed juice and sometimes juicy fruit that our guides sliced up for us. We all greedily reached for more fruit and sat on the benches taking in gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains full of trees and singing birds.
After climbing the concrete road, we reached the rainforest where the shade greeted us. We wandered the dirt trail, spotting vibrant yellow- and cream-colored butterflies, and lengthy lines of busy leaf cutter ants hauling leaves that were five times the size of them upon their backs. Today’s trek was about 4 hours of walking and then we made it to our first base camp.
Here we picked out a bunk bed covered with thin sheets of mosquito netting, took a shower (the water is cold, but it feels good after a long day of walking in humidity), and conversed with our comrades while dinner was being prepared. Every day we were given two options for lunch and dinner. One of them being vegetarian. Afterwards, we drifted off into sleep. My first night I did not sleep too well just because the mattress was a little soggy from the humidity. The other nights I slept great and went straight to sleep due to exhaustion.
Day Two:
The next two days were my favorite. We would be moving a lot today. Our total time until the next camp would be around 8-9 hours. The morning mist settling over the mountains was absolutely breathtaking as we climbed up. Along these narrow trails, we would encounter caravans of mules, people from the Kogui and Wiwa tribes dressed in white (white symbolizes purity) and barefoot, cow pastures every once in a while, and other animals such as dogs, pigs, and families of goats. We passed a beautiful village made with a bamboo thatched roofs and stone circular bases and after two hours we made it to Mutanzi.
At Mutanzi a member from the Wiwas gave us a presentation on their culture. We were taught about the tool men are given at a certain age called the danburro. The danburro is used for a meditation tool. Men grind up seashells and using the stick scoop the crushed remnants into their mouths along with coca leaves they chew. Afterwards, they will use the paste and rub a layer of it on the outside of the tool. The bigger the paste gets throughout the years, the more wisdom it shows that the man has.
He also taught us about how only women are the ones to pick the coca leaves except when they are on their periods, but women are not allowed to chew them. Women are able to meditate by elaborately weaving items such as bags. They are able to make thin strands that resemble fine thread by using trees. The colors of the thread represented certain meanings.
After the informative demonstrations, we walked around 40 minutes down a steep, muddy path to a camp that served us lunch. We were able to take a dip in the flowing cool waters of the river and enjoy our meal. We walked around 4 hours more when we left the camp, a lot of it uphill. Sometimes we would need to cross over bridges that seemed a bit unstable since only a certain amount of us were allowed on at a time. When we made it to camp, the same routine as the night before persisted, but we could also take a dip into the river here as well.
Day Three:
The big day was here. After a 45-minute walk through the rainforest and a treacherous climb up 1200 ancient stone steps to the top, we had the opportunity to look at the circular terraces. We passed a rock that was said to be the map of El Dorado with lines carved into it speculated to show major rivers, roads, and towns.
The Lost City was found thanks to a couple of treasure hunter looters in the 70s who had seen the stone steps and had followed them up. After selling the artifacts and quickly becoming rich, their neighbors got suspicious and followed them to the site. The looters explained how the site had looked when they first came upon it and one of them became a tour guide for the place.
We were able to explore the site for around two hours. I admired the stone mortar and pestles left behind and got amazing pictures of the site. This site has not been overrun by tourist yet, so it is a bit quieter than a place such as Machu Picchu. We were served an array of snacks, and I bought a bracelet from a little girl. Our guide mentioned more about the structure of the houses here. He said that the men and women stayed in separate homes. The women had one door in theirs and the men had two. He said this had to do with the Sun God.
Walking down the steps were even scarier than walking up. One slip and it would be over. Of course, I did slip but my foot caught between two stones before I tumbled down to my death. We made it back to camp just in time for lunch, and then continued our walk back for 3-4 more hours. We were exhausted and rag tagged when we made it back to the camp, we had enjoyed lunch at the day before. I could not wait to get my shoes off. My poor feet had, had it with blisters and scrapes.
Our guide knew how to keep our morale up by giving us an appetizer of salty popcorn and he always grabbed me some hot coco realizing my infatuation with it.
Day Four:
This was the last day I had with my newfound friends. Lots of hiking had to be completed in a timely manner. Most of it was at a descent today. There were two major hills to climb which included the muddy descent from day two. We trekked for seven hours back to El Mamey where we enjoyed our last meal together. Then we were chartered to our own destinations. Mine being back to the magical Minca I fell in love with.
Maybe this adventure sounds awesome to you, but you still have some reservations or fears. Maybe you think you are too old or unable to complete the trek. In my group, we had three older couples who did amazing and if you fear you may not be able to finish it, there is the option of hiring a mule to take you back or you can have a mule haul your stuff. The first and last days there is also an option for you to take a motorbike when you make it to the road section.
I loved this adventure and look forward to finding similar treks with as much charm. If you are up for the challenge, love to hike, see hidden ruins, and adore learning about culture and history, you should enjoy the trip as well. Since I mentioned Machu Picchu several times, you can check it out further in depth here:
Is the 2 Day Inca Trail Actually Worth It? – Venture with a Ginger