Colombia’s “Lost City”

Founded around 1,500 years ago, Ciudad Perdida in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is Colombia’s equivalent of Machu Picchu. Colombian Journeys can take you there on an unforgettable five-day/four-night jungle trek.

This “Lost City” is located at the base of Pico Bolívar and Pico Colón within Tayrona National Park and is surrounded by exuberant nature, a perfect habitat for numerous tropical bird species. 

Ciudad Perdida was the most important urban center of the ancient Tayrona culture. A true feat of engineering, the city was constructed on a system of terraces connected by stone paths and supported by a canal circuit.

Reaching the Lost City takes two days of jungle trekking, with mules to carry the baggage. The last stretch is climbing 2,000 stone steps to the archaeological site entrance.

This spectacular city was built and occupied by the Tayrona between 500 and 1,700 A.D. At that time, the population was an estimated 1,400 and 3,000 people who lived in circular stone houses with thatched roofs on about 250 terraces. Today’s inhabitants of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta — such as the Kogui, Arhuaca and Wiwa — are descendants of the Tayrona and continue to preserve their traditions.