La Ciudad Perdida

Climbing into our jeep with a group of strangers, soon to be friends, we were really excited and more than a little nervous about the next 4 days of adventure in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where we would trek over 50km in the humid Caribbean climate to La Ciudad Perdida - the Lost City.

Fun fact - the Lost City was never really lost, just rediscovered, as indigenous peoples of the area continued to visit the site for ceremonies, and the secret came out when ‘treasure looters’ started selling gold and artefacts found on the site and it was ‘rediscovered’ in 1972. Originally built around 800 A.D by the Tairona people, it was a site of extraordinary architecture and building skill, with 169 terraces and only 10% currently visible today as the descendants of the Tairona people have requested archaeologists leave the remainder of the land untouched.

We got to know our fellow adventurers over lunch after the 3 hour journey to the end of the road, a tiny town called El Mamey. Our group was the perfect size of 12, made up of 4 lovely Spanish ladies (one who was returning for her second time!), an American Katie who taught English in Cartagena the year prior, an inspiring solo Italian Michaela who had a lot of wild travel tales to share, and a Dutch couple along with 2 German guys, who had recently met on the San Blas Islands voyage from Panama to Colombia.

Our guides for the journey were to be Hernán and Juan. Hernán had an extremely interesting story of transformation from being a farmer on the local land for 20 years, and being held as a ‘prisoner on his own land’ along with all other farmers in the area, intimidated with the threat of being killed in the night if they did not grow and provide coca to the guerrillas who held unofficial authority in the area. Around 2006, the Colombian government intervened heavily in the area pushing the guerrillas to different areas of the country, and provided training opportunities for the farmers to become involved in the eco-tourism boom of the Lost City trek, becoming tour guides and other roles along the trail. Hernán had incredible knowledge of the history of the area, and was a really supportive guide to lead our group. Our second guide and translator, Juan, came to the Lost City from Santa Marta and mastered his English while on the job over the past 5 years. He was filled with jokes, patience and an all-around good time. His turnaround time from just arriving back with a group on Day 4, to joining our Day 1 within an hour filled with energy was super impressive.

Our shortest day at 10km, it was a great introduction to what lay ahead as we adjusted to being constantly wet with sweat, walking up muddy paths, and being surrounded by lush green landscape. One bonus of hiking the Lost City trek compared to other hikes in South America is the low elevation (peaking at 1200m), and not having to be concerned about the potential of altitude sickness. Even though the altitude isn’t high, the entire trail was a constant up and down, with elevation gains of 550-1000m each day.

We were so pleased to have a cloudy and overcast day as we hiked this exposed section of the trail, through fincas (farms) and past local houses. We nailed the timing as we landed into Camp 1 in time for a jump off a waterfall to cool off in ‘la piscina natural’ (the natural swimming pool) and a refreshing shower, before the skies opened and it poured with rain for the night. It felt like we were in a scene from ‘The Jungle Book’ set in the valley of the rain forest with stunning views and the threat of potentially dangerous animals around us. As it happened, the only creepy crawly we came across was a blood viper snake towards the start of the trip, and we were glad for it.

We were surprised and impressed with the infrastructure of the fixed camps, which are continuing to be improved as the trail grows in popularity. Bunk beds with mosquito nets, flushing toilets, showers, electricity, a shop with beers and Gatorade, the ability to purchase WiFi (whaaat?!) and a full kitchen where the cooks whipped up hearty meals for us throughout the track. These camps were a welcome place to call home at the end of each long day hiking. There were 5 different groups doing the trek, and while we often had the trail to ourselves and had a private space at each camp, it was nice to connect over meals and a great vibe getting to know other travellers. It was an early night as we prepared for the longest day ahead, 18km, with a 5am start!

Up before the sun, and a full cooked breakfast to nourish us for the workout ahead, the first few hours of the day were a blur as we navigated the muddy terrain, grateful to have brought our hiking boots on the trip. While sneakers were fine for others, just a little slippery, we did have a laugh as a Brit from another group completed the 4 days in sandals - well, 3 days in sandals, 1 day barefoot as they fell apart. He also insisted on walking without a top on, and had to smoke at every stop.

At around 9am, we had our first introduction to one of the four indigenous tribes still living in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, descendants of the Tairona people, the Wiwa tribe. One of the Wiwa tribe members welcomed us to their lands, and shared their rituals and traditions. We were lucky to have this experience because they don’t visit the trail everyday. It was really interesting to learn about their day-to-day lives, and how they continue to embrace their tribal practices, as strange as some of them may seem to those who have grown up in Western societies (particularly around marriage!).

Continuing on the journey, we came across a cluster of houses and a large meeting house, which are used when members of the Wiwa tribes travel from around the region for meetings. It was really impressive to see this construction out of natural materials, and a unique feature of the trail.

Our first 1.5 days had been through farming land (incredibly beautiful farming land), and we were now entering the official boundary line for the National Park of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Home to the highest coastal mountain range in the world and tallest peak in Colombia, the density of the terrain in this region is evident as it was designated a national park in 1964, however, the ‘lost city’ was not rediscovered until 1972.

Breaking up the long day into two sections, we took an extended lunch break at Camp 2 (where we would actually be sleeping on night 3). Run by the Kogi tribe, who similarly to the Wiwa tribe dress entirely in white, we were grateful for a filling meal and enjoyed a break by the flowing river.

The afternoon consisted of a really steep uphill section, followed by a very scenic couple of hours winding around the hillside and river until reaching camp 3. Exhausted, we slept extremely well before our 5am alarm again in the morning for the moment we had been waiting for - the final stretch to the Lost City!

Unfortunately, this was the day that illness and injury first started to hit a number of unlucky members of our trekking party. We really felt for those who struggled with sickness, and were so impressed as they pushed through to complete the trek.

When we woke in the dark, the sky was clear and filled with stars. Our first sunny day ahead, and perfect timing for the morning of exploration. Just 1 hour from our camp sat La Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City. We just had to cross a river (which we hoped hadn’t flooded and washed away the bamboo bridge), and climb 1200 more ancient steps to the entrance of the city to receive our ‘passport’. How hard could it be?

With tired legs, we made it up the steep steps and entered the first terrace of La Ciudad Perdida. We had a short ceremony and sacrifice of a green item (grass or leaf) before we were welcomed to the site. Our group visited in the opposite direction to the other groups, and we had each of the 4 areas to ourselves which was incredible. With only around 10% of the entire area visible, it was remarkable to witness the scale of the area as we explored the terraces, admired the skill in creating steps, retaining walls and foundations that have survived the test of time, and reflected in awe of how far the Tairona people travelled to trade goods at this site, from the beaches of the Caribbean coast, carrying their produce and wares up the steep mountainside, to return with new items.

We were welcomed by the leader of the Kogi tribe, who also features on Colombia’s 50,000 peso note and is a local legend. Receiving handmade bracelets to ensure a safe journey, we were humbled by his presence and grateful for the opportunity to be able to access this historic area with such importance to the Kogi people and other indigenous tribes.

It was magical soaking in the beautiful location, somewhere that can only be imagined unless you undertake the journey to visit by foot. While helicopters have brought VIP guests and government officials as recently as 2018 (with the landing pad being one of the historic terraces), there is a global mega-tourism company interested in turning the area into a new-age Disneyland style complex, complete with paved roads, resorts, and greater access to thousands of people per day. The destruction that such a venture would cause to the ecosystem, home to so many animals and indigenous people, is incomprehensible, and hopefully the opportunity of financial gain will not overpower the current sustainable tourism model of the area in the near future.

After 4 hours, we left the Lost City filled with wonder and respect for the Tairona people, and began to retrace our steps back to Camp 2, again arriving just on time before the downpour. Our favourite dinner of the hike, french fries were a real hit after another long day of 16km. We also had a bit of a treat with a double bunk bed for the night, although it was far too hot to sleep that close together.

The 5am alarm on Day 4 wasn’t well received by either of us - it was hard to find the motivation to get up so early on this last morning, each other day we had good reason for the early start but on the final day, we were fatigued and happy to take it easy. Jelley’s feet were starting to get a bit sore from the long days, as she walked the last 3km in sandals. It was a bit of a slog with a lot of uphill as we set out back to our original lunch venue in El Mamey for a celebratory lunch with our new friends, where we started the journey together.

The 4 day journey was complete, and while it was uncomfortable hiking in the humidity, long tiring days and we were exhausted by the end of it, it was 100% worth the adventure. Hernán and Juan from Teyuna Tours were exceptional, and our group was the perfect size and perfect people to share the experience with.

While every tour company is price regulated by the Colombian government and effectively offers the same service, we were super impressed with Teyuna Tours. Created during the pandemic by guides who had lost their jobs with lock downs and closed borders, everyone we interacted with pre and during the tour was super passionate and we pleased with our decision. As we left, we heard about a Serbian couple who weren’t so fortunate in their decision making - they decided to lie their way through the trek and attempt it themselves in 2 days, without a guide and without paying a cent. Not to mention how miserable it would be to try to complete this journey in 2 days, and the checkpoints along the way (including entrance to the Lost City itself!), the girl abandoned on day 1, the guy completed it, and they both received fines more expensive than booking a tour originally. Hopefully a lesson learnt!

Back in Santa Marta, we were thankful to have splurged for the nicest hotel of our trip. It was so worth it for air conditioning, a hot shower, and a balcony to air out our grim clothes and boots.

The German boys & Katie were also staying in Santa Marta, and after a well deserved freshen-up, we met up again for dinner at Ouzo (ironically a Greek restaurant which does really good pizza). We thought this might be our last dinner together, but as it happened, ran into each other again just days later. We were entertained by the local school marching band and dancers in the local Parque de Los Novios, before calling it a very early Saturday night and returning home for a very deep sleep.

We woke naturally at 5am again the next day, unable to sleep in after our new daily routine. It was a relaxed morning before we took the local bus up to Palomino, a chilled beach town where we would rest for a couple of days, plan for the rest of our time in Colombia, and soak up the sun poolside.

- A Kiwi and A Cali