The Ciudad Perdida hike

The Ciudad Perdida hike is a multi-day trek through the Colombian jungle, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This is situated in the north of the country on the Caribbean coast. The final destination of the Ciudad Perdida hike is the hidden indigenous city of Teyuna, also known as the ‘lost city’. What makes it special is that this hidden city can only be visited by undertaking this multi-day trek.

The standard version of the trek lasts four days, but it is possible to make the hike shorter or longer. However, the route you follow remains exactly the same. During these days, you’ll be cut off from the modern world; there’s limited electricity, hot water isn’t always available, and accommodation is basic. On the other hand, you’ll be surrounded by stunning natural scenery, get to know indigenous Kogui communities and embark on a true adventure.

The time has come: the multi-day hike to Ciudad Perdida is about to begin. In the morning, we set off from Santa Marta to the village of El Mamey. We’re only carrying a small rucksack with everything we need for the coming days: a towel, a change of clothes, toiletries, bottles of water, sun cream and, very importantly, insect repellent. After about an hour’s drive, the driver takes the car off the tarmac road and drives up the mountain along a winding dirt track. Every now and then, we cross a small river. We arrive at El Mamey and meet a group who have just returned from the trek. At first glance, they don’t look entirely exhausted, so we’re hopeful that we’ll ‘get off as lightly’ as they did.

After a Colombian lunch, it’s time to set off on the trek: rucksacks on and off we go. We start at an altitude of 120 metres above sea level and today we’ll climb to 620 metres before descending 200 metres. It’s a challenging walk. The midday sun is beating down and before long beads of sweat are forming on our foreheads. The route is beautiful and we stop now and then at various viewpoints. After about two hours’ walk, we take a short break and are handed a piece of fruit. Lovely and refreshing. Our guide explains that for the next hour we’ll be walking along what’s known as the ‘Colombian flat’. This means the route is hilly, but you climb just as much as you descend.

The path narrows and soon we cross the Buritaca River for the first time, via suspension bridges. Along the way, we come across a few soldiers carrying heavy rucksacks. They are conducting exercises here and ensuring the area is protected. We will come across these soldiers more often over the next few days.

After half a day’s walk, we arrive at our accommodation for the night. Dinner has already arrived. It is carried by pack mules from one accommodation to the next. After dinner, we discuss the route for the following day with our guide and are given a brief introduction to the indigenous communities living in the area. We go to bed early. I’ve really enjoyed the first day. It was warm, but manageable. We’ve already seen lots of beautiful views.

This morning we set off early so we can still enjoy the fresh morning air. As the first rays of sunshine appear, we leave our accommodation. Rucksacks on and off we go again. Today we’ll be covering the most kilometres. We walk past small local farms and take in the green hills all around us. They’re covered in large trees interspersed with tropical palm trees. Although it’s still relatively cool, it’s very humid and we soon feel the first beads of sweat on our skin.

We walk along the mountains and cross the Buritaca River several times. We stop for a break and are handed another piece of fruit, which is very welcome. We meet a Kogi indigenous person who lives in this area. He tells us about the way the indigenous people live here. The Kogi believe in the ‘Aluna’, or Mother Nature. They wear white clothing, which represents Mother Nature and the purity of nature. They see the earth as a living being and regard humanity as children of the earth. They believe that we must help to sustain and protect life on earth. Acts of destruction, exploitation and the misappropriation of resources weaken Mother Nature and will lead to the destruction of humanity. The Kogui people try to keep the world in balance by living in harmony with their environment. I find it truly remarkable to witness that there are still communities living in this way and holding fast to the traditions of their ancestors.

Before we carry on, the Kogi Indian shows us how he makes his Poporo. A Poporo is an important instrument for the indigenous people. It is a dried gourd and, at first glance, resembles a rattle. Inside the hollowed-out gourd is a powder made from seashells. Through a hole at the top, you can insert a stick to extract the powder from the gourd. Meanwhile, the Kogi Indian chews coca leaves. Mixing the lime with his own saliva creates a kind of glue. He spreads this on the outside of the gourd, which over time has resulted in a thick rim of lime forming. This rim of lime is the way in which the indigenous people communicate with their ancestors. Thoughts and messages are stored within it. Here you can watch a video showing how the Poporo is used.

We carry on walking to our lunch spot, where we enjoy a lovely dip in the Buritaca River. The water is ice-cold, but a very welcome refreshment as temperatures are very high around midday. After the refreshing dip and a nutritious lunch, we carry on. The first section is ‘Colombian flat’, and then we reach our ‘happy hour’. This is a long and steep climb of about 500 metres in altitude, at the hottest time of the day, under the blazing sun. Once at the top, we’re well rewarded, as the view is stunning. We walk on past several communities living in traditional huts. At the end of the afternoon, we arrive at our overnight spot, just one kilometre from the Lost City.

Just before sunrise, we set off for Ciudad Perdida. We leave our rucksacks behind, as we’ll be back in the afternoon. We only take our camera and insect repellent with us, as according to our guide, the city is sometimes referred to as the ‘mosquito capital’. It’s a half-hour walk to the main crossing over the Buritaca River. Two ropes have been stretched across, which we can hold on to as we walk straight through the river to reach the other side. The water comes up to my waist and I have to hold on tight to avoid slipping.

Once we’ve crossed over, the final obstacle awaits us: no fewer than 1,200 stone steps. It’s quite a climb, but the reward is well worth it. We look out over Teyuna, also known as Ciudad Perdida. Whilst we feast our eyes on this city, the guide tells us more about this archaeological site. We’re given a thorough trip of the city and plenty of time to take photos.

Next, it’s time to descend the 1,200 steps, cross the Buriaca River and collect our belongings. After lunch, we walk on to the spot where we had our lunch break yesterday and where we’ll be spending the night. Yesterday’s climb, which our guide jokingly called ‘happy hour’, finally feels like a proper happy hour now, as we walk downhill without too much effort. In the afternoon, we cool off in the river again. Once you’re in it, it feels lovely, refreshing and relaxing. Just after I’ve climbed out of the river, panic breaks out. It turns out there’s a snake swimming in the water. Fortunately, everyone gets out of the water in time and the guides chase the snake away. Of course, we are still in the jungle, after all.

It’s Christmas Eve and the guides have organised a glass of bubbly and a little snack to make our last evening extra festive. For those who fancy it, there’s the option of sleeping in a hammock tonight. I’m giving that a miss. For the past few years, you’ve also been able to sleep in bunk beds, and after these past few days, that feels a bit more comfortable to me.

Unfortunately, the final day of our adventure has arrived. We set off early in the morning towards our starting point from a few days ago. On the way back, we enjoy the beautiful views, pass once more through the villages of the indigenous people who live here, and occasionally slip and slide along the muddy, narrow paths. With the sun beating down and the stretches of Colombian flatland, it’s a bit of a slog to the finish. We’re tired, happy and certainly satisfied. It wasn’t an easy trek. The heat, the long days and the changes in altitude made it a tough going. Still, I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. We enjoy a Colombian lunch and get back into the car that takes us back to Santa Marta.