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Sunset over the forested foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, seen from Minca, Colombia

Sample journey · 10–12 days

On foot to the Lost City: Colombia's Caribbean coast

Cartagena, Santa Marta, the Ciudad Perdida trek, Minca, Palomino & Tayrona

Photo: Niels van Altena / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta rises straight from the Caribbean shore to snow-capped summits. Hidden in its forests is Ciudad Perdida, known locally as Teyuna, a city built by the ancestors of the Tayrona people long before Machu Picchu. There is no road to it: only a multi-day trek through jungle, rivers and mountain villages home to Kogi, Wiwa and Arhuaco communities, for whom these mountains remain sacred.

This sample route is for active travellers, friends or couples, who want a journey that is also physically memorable. It begins in Cartagena's old walled city, gives most of its time to the trek, and then lets you recover: in a hill village among coffee farms, and by the sea where rivers flow into the Caribbean. It isn't the quickest way to see Colombia, but it is one of the most rewarding.

The route

The journey

  1. Cartagena
  2. Santa Marta
  3. Ciudad Perdida trek
  4. Minca
  5. Palomino
  6. Tayrona
  7. Santa Marta
  1. Colourful colonial houses with balconies in the Getsemaní neighbourhood in evening light, Cartagena

    01Days 1–3 · Cartagena

    The city within the walls

    The first days are slow, while you adjust to the heat and the time difference. Cartagena's old city is best walked early in the morning or in the evening, when bougainvillea balconies and coloured façades sit in soft light, and in the Getsemaní neighbourhood the evenings are long and full of music. On the third day, the road to Santa Marta, from where the trek begins the next morning.

  2. Round thatched Kogi huts on a forested slope along the Ciudad Perdida trek, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

    02Days 4–5 · The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

    Into the jungle on foot

    By 4x4 from the coast to the trailhead, and from there on foot only, with a guide from a licensed operator, often accompanied by someone from the local communities. The trail climbs and drops over forested hills and crosses rivers, and nights are spent in simple camps with hammocks or bunks under a roof. Days are hot and humid, so walking starts early, and afternoons are often revived by a swim in the river.

  3. Grassy stone terraces and tall palms at Ciudad Perdida, ringed by forested mountains, Colombia

    03Days 6–7 · Ciudad Perdida (Teyuna)

    More than a thousand steps

    The final stretch is more than a thousand stone steps rising from the river into the city. At the top, green terraces open up, with round house foundations and paths once kept by thousands of people. Your guide explains what these places mean to the peoples who live here; some areas remain off-limits, and that is worth respecting. Then you walk back the same way to the coast.

  4. A clear mountain river between mossy boulders and dense forest near Minca, Colombia

    04Days 8–9 · Minca

    Coffee, birds and cooler air

    After the trek, two nights in the hill village of Minca, where the air is cooler and coffee and cacao farms surround you. In the morning you could visit a small coffee farm and see how a cherry becomes a cup; in the afternoon, walk to a waterfall or simply rest on a terrace listening to the birds. For birdwatchers the Sierra Nevada is special, home to species found nowhere else.

  5. A long sandy beach with tall coconut palms and a thatched shelter on a cloudy day, Palomino, Colombia

    05Days 10–12 · Palomino & Tayrona

    Where rivers meet the sea

    To finish, the coast. At Palomino a river flowing down from the Sierra Nevada meets the Caribbean, and you could end the journey floating gently down it on an inner tube. Heading back west, one day goes to Tayrona National Park: a forest trail leads to coves framed by granite boulders, some of them safe for swimming. On the last day, the road to Santa Marta airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Ciudad Perdida

    An ancient city in the jungle that can only be reached on foot, which is exactly why it stays with you.

  2. 02

    The communities of the Sierra Nevada

    A chance to understand a little better the peoples who call these mountains home and look after them.

  3. 03

    Minca's coffee farms

    Cooler mountain air, shade-grown coffee and birdsong after the trek.

  4. 04

    Tayrona's coves

    Jungle, granite boulders and the Caribbean in one place, best early in the morning.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Without the trek

    If a multi-day trek feels like too much, the coast and the Sierra Nevada can still be walked on shorter trails from Minca and Tayrona, with time added on the Rosario Islands near Cartagena.

  • With the coffee region

    A flight from Santa Marta to Medellín or Pereira lets you add the Andean coffee region and the Cocora Valley, stretching the journey towards three weeks.

  • On to La Guajira

    For the more adventurous, a few days on the desert peninsula of La Guajira and the dunes of Cabo de la Vela, travelling with a local guide.

  • Longer by the sea

    A few more nights somewhere quiet on the Caribbean is a good way to recover after the trek, especially if this is a honeymoon or special occasion.

Practical considerations

  • The Ciudad Perdida trek is physically demanding: several days in heat and humidity, steep climbs, slippery paths and river crossings. It suits travellers who are fit and well; it's worth talking to your doctor or a travel clinic before you go.
  • Ciudad Perdida can only be visited with licensed operators. The trail usually closes for a period each year, typically around September, and Tayrona National Park also closes several times a year, so we check dates before planning.
  • It's worth checking official travel advice for the region before you go, as it can change.
  • The driest period is usually December to March; in the wetter months the trails are muddier and the rivers deeper.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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