THE LOST CITY TREK

The Lost City trek is not what you would call an easy hike but never-the-less rewarding, to traverse through the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. The trek offers a unique opportunity to connect with nature, to see the ancient ruins of Pre-Columbian civilizations, as well as to pass through the land of the Kogi tribes. These indigenous people live in traditional ways inside the Sierra Nevada reservation. This unique 9-day excursion will take you to places you have only ever seen in the movies. Find out more about Va Expeditions Lost City Trek here!

 

First view of The Lost City

 

What to Expect

 

After the arrival to Bogota and onward flight to Santa Martha, you will spend the first three days hiking to the Lost City. Unlike most other trekking tours to the Lost City, you will spend 2 whole days exploring this magnificent site before you trek back the same way on the 4th and 5th days. We will also visit the stunning city of Cartagena for some lively culture, stunning Caribbean islands, and a well-earned rest after the epic Lost City Trek. You can take this opportunity to simply relax or explore the breathtaking Cartagena Islands of Rosario or Baru for your perfect Caribbean getaway. The perfect way to spend this amazing trek! Please bear in mind that The Lost City Trek is far from a luxury experience and a sense of adventure in an Indiana Jones, kind of way, will go a long way to get the most out of this experience. The accommodation will be either hammocks or dormitory-style beds in the open air under a corrugated roof, so it’s nothing fancy, but that is also part of the trekking experience.

 

Sleeping  Arrangements

Difficulty Level

While not difficult in a technical sense, the Lost City trail is quite strenuous. By the end of it, you will be thoroughly exhausted and dreaming about Cartagena´s pristine beaches, it's fair to say that if you don't like hiking, then this is probably not the experience for you. however, if you are up for a challenge, and an unparalleled trekking adventure, then stamina is really all you need to do the Lost City trek. Hikers of all ages trek along the trail. and the terrain is relatively flat overall but the trail goes up and down in elevation all along the trail. You’ll be alternating between ascending and descending the whole way,  the general direction to the Lost City is up, and it’s generally down on the way back. The trek is low elevation being in the rainforest, unlike many other epic South American treks, such as The Inca Trail in Peru, and on average you will hike around 5 hours per day. The good news is that mules will carry water and food to the campsites, so all you have to carry are your personal belongings such as clothes, a towel, sunscreen, a rain jacket, etc. Just a daypack is all you need for this trek.

 

Mules on The Lost City Trek

Arriving at The Lost City

 

Don’t expect the ancient ruins to be a Machu Picchu-like extravaganza. What’s still visibly left of the city are just a few flat terraces where once there were buildings. There are thought to be 170 stone terraces carved in the mountain, but most are covered in jungle. There are almost no walls or structures left, only foundations. The Lost City however comes alive when your guide provides context and begins to explain all about this magical archaeological site. Whoever called it the Lost City certainly did a good job naming it, as it sounds so tantalizing and mysterious as it was buried deep in the Colombian jungle and wasn’t rediscovered by outsiders until 1972. From an archaeological point of view, the site is clearly significant. The city is estimated to date back to 800 AD and to have had around 8000 inhabitants. You have to walk up 1200 moss-covered stone steps to reach the top.

 

The Steps to The Lost City

The Hike

 

The trail follows a river for almost the entire length, letting you cool off the water regularly and visit small waterfalls. Hummingbirds, butterflies in large numbers and sizes, and colorful tropical birds can be spotted all along the trail. Being far away from any electricity or WiFi enhances the experience. You will sleep at simple camps where dinner is served by candlelight. There’s nothing quite like falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle. Laying in the dark in a hammock covered in a mosquito net will make you feel like you’re in a cozy cocoon, letting you focus on the orchestra of crickets, frogs, and birds that are out there somewhere. You can even hear monkeys whooping in the distance. So if you are searching for the perfect off-the-beaten-track destination or digital detox then the trek to The Lost City experience was made for you.

 

Hiking Through The Jungle

The Kogi People

 

What makes the Lost City trek extra interesting is the chance to meet members of the Kogi tribe. They can be easily recognized by their white robes and the pointy hats worn by the male priests. These indigenous people have maintained their traditional way of life, typically living in small thatched huts. Their belief system is based on living in harmony with nature, with their God, Aluna, being a kind of Mother Nature figure. They call outsiders the ‘Younger Brothers’ believing us to have caused Earth’s ecology to become unbalanced, while they call themselves the ‘Elder Brothers’ and see themselves as caretakers of the Earth. Learning about their simple and nature-focused lives is quite fascinating and completely inspiring on a personal level. After this awe-inspiring trek through the Colombian jungle, the only way to kick back in the most exquisite manner is to head to the city of Cartagena for some beach time or some rest.

 

The Kogi People

Cartagena 

 

Cartagena has a fascinating and often unbelievable history: once the largest slave port in the Americas, the city was regularly invaded and besieged by pirates and is home to some of the finest historical architecture in the country. San Felipe Castle is the best example of a Spanish fort in the Americas and the old city walls are still home to the cannons that once kept Francis Drake at bay. Cartagena is located on the Colombian Caribbean coast and, as such, is surrounded by a series of stunning beaches and islands. There are nice city beaches in the Bocagrande and La Boquilla neighborhoods, but true sun-worshippers will want to jump on a boat and pay a visit to Playa Blanca, Isla Grande, Tierra Bomba or the Rosario Islands (also a national park) to bask in the warm sun of an idyllic Caribbean beach. The perfect end to an awesome vacation in Colombia! 

 

Playa Blanca, Isla Baru

 

Find out more about our Lost City Trek with VA Expeditions here!