3-day Sierra Nevada trek from Santa Marta: Mountain villages

Climb steep mountain slopes and wake in a cloud forest village

A 3-day trek through Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park starting from Santa Marta, where you hike between peasant family farms in the mountains, sleep in their homes, and share meals and daily life with them. The trek climbs from 950 meters to 2,200 meters over three days, with a live guide in English or Spanish and hotel pickup included. Children from age 5 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Trekking and mountain stay

• Hike 9 km in Sierra Nevada
• Reach 2,200 m peak
• Have lunch at Finca La Lujana
• Overnight at campesino house

Day 2: Cultural exchange and trekking

• Morning cultural exchange at Finca La Lujana
• Trek 3 km down pastures
• Arrive at Palacio de las Nubes
• Overnight at campesino house

Day 3: Forest trek and return

• Hike 15 km through forest and hills
• Pass through La Tagua village
• Take motos back to city

The experience

Day one is a 9-kilometer hike up steep mountain slopes from 950 meters elevation to a peak at 2,200 meters, ending at Finca La Lujana where you'll sleep in a peasant family's home. The route stays off the main tourist paths, moving through the mountains rather than through populated towns. You eat and rest with the family that night, beginning the cultural exchange that shapes the whole trek.

Day two starts with the morning routine at La Lujana. You spend time with the family, eat what they eat, see how they work the land. Then a 3-kilometer descent through pastures takes you down to Palacio de las Nubes at 1,600 meters, another family home where you'll sleep. The pace is built around the land itself: steep climbs, grass fields, forest sections, each one demanding real physical effort.

Day three covers roughly 15 kilometers, most of it through deep forest crossing the slopes of Cerro Kennedy (also called San Lorenzo) until you reach La Tagua at 1,600 meters. From there, motorcycles take you back to Santa Marta. The trek avoids the saturated tourist routes. The families who run it left intensive agriculture to show their home as it actually is: wildlife, waterfalls, views of both mountains and Caribbean Sea.

What’s included

• Three nights in peasant family homes in the mountains.
• meals with the families.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• hotel pickup and return to Santa Marta.
• the cultural exchange and daily-life experience with each family.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (20 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 60 years) · Youth (14 to 19 years) · Child (5 to 13 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 31 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Demanding physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Native Expeditions

Is this one for you?The three-day commitment means you're hiking and staying in mountain villages for the full duration with no option to shorten it or skip a night. Book this if you have the time and the physical stamina for steep climbs and want to sleep where you trek, not return to town each evening.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 19 years); Child (5 to 13 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the physical demand like on a 3-day Sierra Nevada trek?

The trek requires high physical fitness: day one climbs 1,250 meters over 9 kilometers on steep slopes, day two descends 600 meters over 3 kilometers, and day three covers 15 kilometers mostly through forest on uneven terrain. The operator notes that reaching the most beautiful places requires great effort and good mental condition alongside physical strength.

Where do you sleep on the trek?

You sleep in peasant family homes in the mountains: Finca La Lujana on nights one and two, and another family home on night three. These are humble rural houses where you eat with the family and participate in their daily life as part of the cultural exchange.

How does the guide work on this trek?

A live guide leads the trek in either English or Spanish, chosen at booking. Hotel pickup in Santa Marta is included, so the guide meets you at your accommodation and returns you there after day three.

Is this trek crowded with other tourists?

The trek deliberately avoids the saturated tourist routes in the Sierra Nevada. The families running it chose this path specifically to show their home away from the main tourist trails, so you'll encounter far fewer visitors than on the standard routes.