The Lost
City

Step by step. Around 1,200 of them, from the riverbank up the hillside. No gate at the top. After days of walking, you simply step out of the jungle — and find yourself standing on stone laid by hand over a thousand years ago. Below lies the valley of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. And you understand: this city did not want to be found.

Teyuna — that is what the indigenous people call it. Ciudad Perdida is the name given by Colombian treasure hunters who stumbled upon the site in 1972. Older than Machu Picchu. Still not developed for tourism. Reachable only on foot, after four to five days through the jungle.

A trail that must be earned

The Lost City Trek is a multi-day trail through the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It leads through rainforest, across rivers, through indigenous villages — and ends at one of the most significant archaeological sites in South America.

The only licensed operator with indigenous guides: Wiwa Tours, Santa Marta. The guides are direct descendants of the Wiwa people — successors of the ancient Tayrona who once inhabited Teyuna. Four peoples guard the city together to this day: Wiwa, Kogui, Arhuaco, Kankuamo.

Jungle, river, fire

The trail begins at the edge of the rainforest. Uphill, downhill — that's just how Colombia is. The heat is heavy, the path is wet. Your big bag stays in Santa Marta. All you carry is a small daypack — clothes, water, camera. Mules transport supplies for the camps; for a fee, you can also load a small bag onto one.

Along the way you cross the Buritaca River several times. You jump in, right there in the jungle. Then keep going. On the path you pass women selling handmade crafts, children playing with whatever nature provides — watching you with curious eyes. Small pigs trot along on leads beside the trail.

Nights are spent in camps on indigenous land — bunk beds, mosquito nets, simple showers. No four-star hotel, but far more comfortable than many expect. In some camps you can even buy Wi-Fi. Whether you use it is another question. Falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle — crickets, frogs, monkeys — can be genuinely calming. Unless your neighbour snores. That can happen too — and you should be prepared for it. On the 5-day trek, one night is spent directly in the Wiwa community of Gotsezhy.

In the evenings you sit around the campfire. The guides talk — about the four peoples, about the Pagamento ritual, about the Mamos, the spiritual leaders who close the site every September so that Mother Earth can rest.

"One evening I sat at the table with one of the indigenous guides. He asked if he could write something in my journal — and wrote me translations from his language into Spanish."

— Alina Böhmer, Lost City Trek  ·  @alinaboehmer

The people who guard the city

Wiwa Tours ist simply a travel agency. It is the people themselves who run the tour. The Colombian government's mandate: only indigenous guides may lead visitors to Ciudad Perdida. Five agencies are licensed. Wiwa Tours is the only one that works exclusively with indigenous guides — direct descendants of the Tayrona, for whom Teyuna is not a destination, but home.

Before entering the city, the guides perform a Pagamento ritual — a spiritual ceremony that asks for protection and renews the connection to the earth. You enter differently afterwards.

For those who need a reason

For people who can walk and want to — and who understand that a demanding trail is not a flaw, but the reason why the moment at the top feels the way it does. You need to be fit, but not a professional. Heat and simple accommodation should not be a problem.

Not for someone who expects comfort. Everything for someone searching for a story they could not have found anywhere else.

"If you enjoy hiking — even in the so-called Colombian Flat, constantly uphill and downhill — and want to spend a few days away from civilisation, the Lost City Trek is exactly right for you. You immerse yourself in a culture that still lives in harmony with nature. The heat, the altitude, the 1,000-plus steps are a challenge. At the same time, they allow you to reconnect with yourself in a special way. You are rewarded with a magical place. And the cold beer afterwards tastes twice as good."

— Alina Böhmer, Lost City Trek  ·  @alinaboehmer

What you need to know

In the region

• Lost City Trek — 4, 5 or 6 days with Wiwa Tours
• Flamingo Tour — 2 days with Wiwa Tours (see below)
• Awatawaa Ecolodge — rest on the Caribbean coast after the trek (separate recommendation)
• Don Diego River — tubing + Taironaka ruins + Kogui community

The Flamingo Tour

Wiwa Tours has offered a two-day Flamingo Tour for just a few years — still little known, barely touched by tourism, and for exactly that reason worth a look.

The first day belongs to the people. You visit three indigenous communities: the Wiwa, the Arhuaco and the Wayúu. With the Arhuaco you learn how chocolate is made by hand from the cacao fruit — a process passed down to children in the community from an early age. With the Wayúu you drink Chicha, the traditional fermented drink, and witness the Chichamaya — a dance performed to drum rhythms that tells stories older than any guidebook. The night is spent in the village.

On the second morning, early, you paddle by canoe into the Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Flamencos. The water is still, the mist not yet gone. And then: flamingos, up close, moving at their own pace. A local guide explains the nature reserve — not as a lecture, but as a conversation on the water.

For those who have already completed the Lost City Trek, this is the perfect transition: from the effort of the jungle to the stillness of the lagoon.