Let’s start giving you a clear idea of how to get to the Lost City and how you can make this magical adventure trek among the many things to do in Santa Marta.
Do you know where the Lost City of Colombia is located?
This ancient Tayrona indigenous civilization, which are now archaeological ruins, are located within the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park and can only be visited by trekking or hiking.
There is no doubt that the Lost City Tayrona is an archaeological tourist destination very similar to the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru and that you must visit during your visit to Colombia.
It is not always possible to have the opportunity to go on an excursion in the jungles of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta by the hand of native indigenous guides, the most important thing is to get to know the culture of the local people through mountain trails and rivers. indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta.
How to get to the Lost City Santa Marta
The Lost City Tayrona, also known as the Teyuna Archaeological Park, the Tayronas are the descendants of four indigenous communities: the Koguis, Wiwas, Arhuacos and the Kankuamos, who are responsible for the sustainability and spiritual maintenance of all the ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The only way to connect with this ancestral destination is through a guided tour (trekking) through rainforest trails, mountain roads and river crossings.
The Lost City Trek Colombia is in part a journey through peasant territories and territories of native indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
What is the Best Travel Agency to go to the Lost City?
There are several agencies that offer this tour to the Lost City Colombia with traditional tour guides except for Wiwa Tours, which is the only agency that operates with native indigenous guides, direct descendants of the ancient Tayrona people.
This adventure trek is much more enjoyable with native indigenous guides who will make you live a unique experience.
The indigenous guides are people who have traveled the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta all their lives, and thanks to their culture, they have very important ancestral knowledge.
How to get to the Lost City, features of the experience
The Lost City Tour is divided or segmented by several cabin camps, strategically located throughout the trek.
As the adventurers advance in the excursion, they will spend the night in camps, in addition to stock up on water, food and rest a little from the fatigue of the hike, in some they will have accommodation in cabins or hammocks depending on the season.
Campsites available all along the trail to the Lost City:
Vista Hermosa Camp – 500 masl
Adán Cabin – 450 masl
Wiwa Cabin – 400 masl
Mumake Camp – 820 masl
Paso Lorenzo Cabin – 820 masl
The total distance from the beginning of the hike to the Lost City and back to Mamey is approximately 60 km.
As a recommendation, it is very important to warm up the muscles before starting any hike, since any tearing or cramping during the hike would be a problem, causing your experience to be very unpleasant.
Remember that there is an additional service to transport luggage from camp to camp. A heavy suitcase is uncomfortable and a bit hot when walking on steep trails, that’s why this local service of transporting suitcases on mules, so you can walk lightly on the trails without any weight affecting you.
How long does it take to get to the Lost City?
Well, now you know how to get to the Lost City, we recommend these options or ways to make this excursion with Indigenous Guides.
3 day tour to the Lost City
Lost City Trek Colombia 4 days
Exclusive 5-day plan to the Lost City
5-day Lost City Tour
6-day excursion to the Lost City
First of all we are going to tell you that the difference between the 3 options of trekking to Ciudad Perdida, is that in the 5 and 6 days tours, you will visit a Wiwa Indigenous Community, called Gotsezhy.
How to go to the Lost City – Tour Itinerary
Day 1 – Beginning of the Adventure – Vista Hermosa Cabin – Peasant Territories of la Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta
During the first day, all travelers look forward to meeting the indigenous guide or guides who will take them into the jungles of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in search of the Lost City of Colombia.
Important information will be shared by the indigenous guide during the induction to the Lost City Trek, very early in the morning the tour starts at the Wiwa Tours main office and a van or 4×4 truck takes the adventurers to the Mamey (Peasant Territory).
After lunch the adventurers get ready to start the hike through an ecological trail where they will find majestic landscapes full of vegetation typical of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The indigenous guide takes advantage of any pause or break in the trek to give indications and check the condition of the hikers.
Practically the hike this day is somewhat softer compared to the following days, the journey is executed by medium steep trails that cross the peasant territories of the region.
Hikers can take pictures of special places and natural scenery full of life and vegetation.
After approximately 5 hours of hiking through rocky trails and some muddy sections, you will arrive at the first campsite, Vista Hermosa Cabin, where you can rest and have a cup of coffee or chocolate before going to bed.
As a recommendation before going to rest, be attentive to the guide’s indications, who almost always informs travelers of the next day’s itinerary.
Day 2 – In Search of the Lost City, Wiwa Cabin, Paso Lorenzo Cabin
On this day you should hydrate and eat very well, since you need extra energy for this long hike, during the journey the hikers will climb through unpaved roads full of jungle and vegetation.
Well, the moment of truth has arrived, on this day the adventurers will have a lot of time to meditate as they advance with the hike, but don’t worry, all this effort is worth it, I assure you.
When it is half a day or earlier, depending on the pace of the group, the hikers begin to reach the Wiwa Camp, where they rest for a while to have lunch and immediately continue with the Trek. In this camp, travelers will have the option to visit a very beautiful waterfall called Wiwa Waterfall, where they can refresh themselves and take a delicious bath.
After lunch, the adventurers continue with the hike, observing a more pronounced jungle and the weather begins to change, giving us a warning that the Lost City of Colombia is near.
This section of the trail is approximately 4 hours long and in my opinion it is the most demanding segment of the route since at this point the body begins to feel physical exhaustion, well, the adventurers reach the end of the trail. Paso Lorenzo Camp and we start to feel a cold that tells us that we are very close to our goal.
In this camp, travelers will find lodging and will be able to enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Before going to bed, the indigenous guide will give a very detailed talk about the Lost City of Tayrona, its history and the sacred meaning for the native indigenous communities descended from the ancient Tayrona.
Day 3 – The Lost City Tayrona, Archaeological Ruins of an Ancestral Indigenous Civilization
This day is one of the most important of the excursion, since all hikers look forward to seeing the archaeological ruins of the Lost City.
The day begins very early and with a lot of motivation on the part of the travelers, we start the journey of approximately 1 hour through jungle trails until we reach the Buritaca river crossing.
When all the hikers have crossed the Buritaca river, they will be able to see the first stone stairs of these ancient archaeological ruins, they will climb up to the top. 1.200 steps approximately to reach the first terraces of the Lost City Tayrona, at this point, we will wait for all the travelers in the group to be together to follow the protocol for entering the Archaeological Park.
The protocol for admission by Wiwa Tours to the Lost City is a pagamento made by our indigenous guides, no agency has this ancestral ritual where all the members of the group make a small spiritual pagamento, getting rid of all the negative energies and asking permission to the ancestral Tayrona, since these are sacred territories.
On this day the adventurers will say “It was worth this personal challenge” to arrive on time to the highest terraces of Teyuna (1200 meters above sea level) and be able to take the best pictures of the place, is undoubtedly the best of the trip and if you are lucky you will be able to meet and interact with the MAMO ROMUALDO (Spiritual leader of the Kogui culture), this person will help you see life from another point of view, since he will advise you to leave bad habits and negative energies and put your spiritual and material life in order.
You will learn about the history of the Lost City of Tayrona and the events that marked the life of one of the most important indigenous civilizations in Colombia.
The relationship that indigenous cultures have with Mother Nature is spectacular, as they protect the ecosystems and sustainability within the territories of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta at all costs.
After the internal tour of approximately 3 hours you will have an unforgettable sensation, you will see that the Lost City Colombia is more ancestral and magical than you expected.
After the tour in the Lost City, you will begin to descend by the stone stairs until you reach the Buritaca River, just after you arrive at the Paso Lorenzo Camp, where you will have lunch and almost immediately continue with the descent to the Wiwa camp, where you will spend the night.
Day 4 – Return to the city of Santa Marta, meeting again with civilization.
On this day the travelers only want to return to where it all started and rest, they will spend the last effort walking for almost 5 hours approximately through difficult trails, from Wiwa Camp until they reach the point where it all started, the Mamey.
If physical exhaustion overcomes you, you have the option of the mule that will allow you to descend comfortably until you reach the Mamey, this option is commonly taken by travelers who got sick or had an injury along the way.
Here at the mamey a delicious lunch will be waiting for you and the vehicle that will take you back to Santa Marta, therefore, it is here where the experience of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta we are finished, tired and happy, without a doubt the experience is gratifying and will leave a lesson in our hearts.
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