Lost City Trek Santa Marta: 4-Day Sierra Nevada Hike

The stone stairs appear through the mist before you see the city itself.

You hike four days through the Sierra Nevada with a local guide and translator, sleeping in hammocks and tents at three mountain camps. The trek includes all meals, entry to the archaeological zone, and payments to the indigenous Kogi community and local farmers. Expect six to seven hours of walking daily on steep terrain. It's a high-difficulty trek, and that's what makes reaching the ruins feel earned rather than rushed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Santa Marta to Campamento 1

• Depart hotel by 4x4 to Mamey
• Lunch in Mamey village
• Hike 4 hours to Campamento 1
• Settle in hammocks or beds
• Dinner at camp

Day 2: Campamento 1 to Campamento 3

• Breakfast at camp
• Hike 2 hours to Mutanzi village
• Hike 40 minutes to Campamento 2
• Lunch at Campamento 2
• Hike 4 hours to Campamento 3
• Settle in hammocks, beds, or tents
• Dinner at camp

Day 3: Campamento 3 to Campamento 2

• Breakfast at camp
• Hike 1 hour to Lost City
• Explore archaeological site 2 hours
• Return to Campamento 3
• Lunch at camp
• Hike 4 hours to Campamento 2
• Dinner at camp

Day 4: Campamento 2 to Santa Marta

• Breakfast at camp
• Hike 7 hours to Mamey
• Lunch in Mamey
• Drive 3 hours by 4x4 to hotel

The experience

The trek to Ciudad Perdida starts three hours north of Santa Marta in a 4×4, winding up into the Sierra Nevada until the road gives way to footpath. Your guide meets you at the hotel that morning, and after lunch in Mamey, you're walking: four hours through dense green, crossing streams, the canopy so thick the light comes in patches. That first night you sleep in a hammock or bed under mosquito netting, listening to the mountain settle. It's not comfortable in the way a hotel is, but it's the only way to be here.

Day two moves faster because your body has already adjusted. You leave before dawn, walk two hours to the indigenous village of Mutanzi where the Kogi people still live as they have for centuries, then push on another four hours to Campamento 3, where Mamo Romualdo's community cooks lunch over a fire. The guide (and a translator if English is your language) explains what you're seeing: the terraces, the water systems, why this place was built where it was. On day three, you wake early again, climb one more hour through switchbacks, and then the stairs begin. Two hours wandering through the archaeological zone, and you understand why people kept this city hidden for five hundred years. The energy people talk about is real, or maybe it's just the altitude and the silence and the fact that you've earned being here. You descend the same day, four hours back down to camp, then sleep one last night before the final seven-hour walk out to Mamey and the drive back to Santa Marta.

The trek is rated alto, high difficulty, and that's not marketing language. You're walking between six and seven hours most days, on uneven ground, in heat and humidity, with a pack on your back. Your guide carries the heavy load, but you need moderate-to-high fitness to finish without suffering. The meals are hot and filling: breakfast before you leave, lunch at camp, dinner cooked in the evening. Medical insurance is included, and your contribution to the indigenous and peasant communities goes directly to them. Pregnant travelers shouldn't do this one, and children need an adult with them, but if you're fit enough and willing to sleep rough, the Lost City trek delivers something most people never see.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Santa Marta, all transport by 4×4 to and from the trailhead, a qualified local guide, English translator, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day), accommodation in hammocks, beds, or tents with mosquito nets and blankets, medical insurance, entrance to the Ciudad Perdida archaeological zone, and contributions to indigenous Kogi communities and local peasant communities.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to20h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Under 18: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 48 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 18 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Magic Tour Colombia

Is this one for you?Right for adventurers with moderate-to-high fitness who want to trek to an actual archaeological site and meet indigenous communities, not a guided walk through a museum. Plan for four full days of hiking on steep mountain terrain in heat and humidity, sleeping in basic camps. That's what makes reaching the Lost City feel like an achievement rather than a tour.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

How many hours of walking per day on the Lost City trek?

Between six and seven hours daily, split across multiple sections with rest stops and meals. Day four is the longest at seven hours.

What's included in the four-day trek price?

Transport from Santa Marta, all meals, accommodation in hammocks or tents with mosquito nets, a qualified guide, English translator, medical insurance, and payments to indigenous and peasant communities. Entry to the archaeological zone is also included.

Do I need to be very fit to do the Lost City trek?

Yes. The trek is rated alto (high difficulty) and requires at least moderate-to-high physical fitness. It involves steep terrain, altitude, heat, and consecutive long walking days.

Where do you sleep on the trek?

In hammocks, beds, or tents with mosquito nets and blankets at three mountain camps. Facilities are basic but functional.

Is the trek safe in bad weather?

The trek operates in all weather conditions. You should pack rain gear and dress appropriately for mountain weather, which changes quickly.

Can children do the Lost City trek?

Yes, but they must be accompanied by an adult. Children should also meet the fitness requirements, as the walking is demanding.

What time does the trek start?

Hotel pickup happens in the morning, with a three-hour drive to Mamey. The first walk begins after lunch, so you're on the trail by early afternoon.

Is an English translator provided?

Yes. An English translator is included with the trek, in addition to your local guide.