Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Colombia's Lost City: the Teyuna Trek and the Caribbean Coast
8 days from Santa Marta: the four-day jungle trek to Teyuna, the Lost City, with a licensed local operator working with Indigenous guides, then two nights to recover by the sea at Palomino.
8 days · Round trip from Santa Marta · up to 12 guests
A carved stone among the terraces at Teyuna, the Lost City Photo: REPÚBLICA DE COLOMBIA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:34Visita_Parque_Teyuna_Ciudad_perdida-Ovidio_Gonz%C3%A1lez.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Santa Marta
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Active
Challenging. Four days of trekking, about 47 km in all: roughly 8, 14, 10 and 15 km a day, 4 to 7 hours on foot, on steep red-earth tracks, forest paths and about 1,200 uneven stone steps up to the Lost City at about 1,200 m. The heat (often above 30°C) and humidity are harder than the altitude. The Buritaca river and its side streams are crossed on foot several times, usually knee-deep, deeper after rain. Once on the trail the only way out is on foot or by mule, so you cannot sit a trek day out; the other four days are easy.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 495 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- Teyuna at about 6 am, after 1,200 stone steps through the forest, before the heat and the later groups
- More than 160 stone terraces on a ridge of the Sierra Nevada, explained by guides from the communities who still hold them sacred
- Four days on foot through Kogi and Wiwa land, with river swims at the end of each walking day
- Wading the Buritaca river with the guides, ropes strung where the water runs fast
- The Tairona Gold Museum in Santa Marta, the morning after you have climbed their city
- Sunset at El Rodadero beach on the first night back from the trail
- Floating down the Palomino river to the Caribbean in an inner tube
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 495 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Santa Marta, the trek briefing
Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR) to your hotel in Santa Marta's historic centre
- Dinner
- Stay in Santa Marta
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), beside the sea about 16 km south of Santa Marta, and our driver takes you to a hotel in the historic centre, about half an hour away. Most flights from Canada and the United States connect through Bogotá or another Colombian airport, so aim to land by about 3 pm. At 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide and the trek leader from our licensed operator meet the group for a proper briefing: what goes in the small bag you carry for four days, what stays in the hotel's luggage room, how the camps work, what to wear for the river crossings and how the days are paced in the heat.
Evening
Then a short walk at dusk along the bay promenade to the whitewashed cathedral and the Parque de los Novios. Santa Marta, founded in 1525, is one of the oldest Spanish-founded cities in South America. Dinner together is a welcome meal of coastal food: fried fish, coconut rice and patacones. An early night helps: the 4x4s leave at 8 am.
Included
- Pick-up at Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR)
- Trek briefing with your guide and the trek leader
- Dusk walk on the bay promenade
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 5 pm briefing
Activity: Pack your trek bag tonight; the main luggage stays at the hotel until day 5.
Into the Sierra Nevada: the first camp
Santa Marta to El Mamey (Machete Pelao) by 4x4, then on foot to the first camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in First trek camp
- Drive about 2.5 h
At 8 am we leave in the operator's 4x4s east along the coast road, then turn inland at El Mamey, also called Machete Pelao, and climb a rough dirt road into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, about two and a half hours in all.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the trailhead, and we start walking at around noon. The first afternoon is about 8 km and 4 hours: a long, steep climb on a red-earth track between cattle pasture and patches of forest, with stalls selling cold watermelon and oranges at shady bends, then a descent into the Buritaca valley. This is the hottest part of the day, often above 30°C and humid, so we go slowly and stop often to drink. The operator's local guides lead, and your See Sight Tours guide walks with the group the whole way.
Evening
Camp is a simple shelter near the river with bunks or hammocks under mosquito nets and shared cold showers, and there is a swimming hole for tired legs before dinner.
Included
- 4x4 to the trailhead at El Mamey (Machete Pelao)
- Lunch at the trailhead
- Trek day 1 with the licensed operator's guides, about 8 km
- River swim at camp
- Dinner in camp
Easier option: Send part of your load ahead by mule, arranged and paid locally.
Free time: Late afternoon at camp and by the river
Activity: About 8 km and 4 hours on foot, with a long, steep climb in the heat of the afternoon. Bring at least 2 litres of water; it can be refilled with treated water at camp.
Kogi land and the Buritaca river
First camp to the camp below Teyuna, on foot
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Camp below Teyuna
Morning
Breakfast is at about 6 am, because the cool morning is the best walking of the day. Today is the longest stretch, about 14 km and 6 to 7 hours, up and down forested ridges with views back over the green valleys of the Sierra Nevada. The trail passes Kogi land, including the village of Mutanyi, with its round thatched houses; families here live by their own rules, so ask the guide before you take any photo and never enter a house uninvited.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a camp about halfway. In the afternoon the trail follows the Buritaca river, crossing it and its side streams on foot several times. In the dry season most crossings are knee-deep; after rain they can reach the waist, and the guides string ropes where the water runs fast. Change into sandals for the crossings or accept wet boots. We sleep at the camp closest to the Lost City, about a kilometre below it, so we can reach the site early tomorrow.
Evening
Dinner is together, and most people are asleep by nine.
Included
- Trek day 2 with the licensed operator's guides, about 14 km
- Kogi land and the village of Mutanyi with an Indigenous guide where the community allows
- River crossings of the Buritaca with the guides
- Lunch and dinner on the trail
Easier option: Send your bag ahead by mule, arranged and paid locally, and walk with only water and a rain layer.
Free time: Late afternoon at camp
Activity: About 14 km and 6 to 7 hours on foot, with several river crossings. Carry sandals or water shoes and a dry bag for your phone.
Teyuna, the Lost City
Camp below Teyuna up to the Lost City, back to camp for lunch, then down the valley to the return camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Return trek camp
We leave camp at about 5:30 am, cross the Buritaca once more and climb the stone stairway into the Lost City, about 1,200 steps through the forest. The steps are narrow, uneven and slippery when wet, so take them at your own pace. Teyuna was built by the ancestors of today's Kogi, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankuamo peoples from around the 9th century, some 650 years before Machu Picchu, and outsiders learned of it only when looters found it in 1972. More than 160 stone terraces, linked by paths and stairways, step up a ridge at about 1,200 m. Arriving early means cooler air and fewer people. The guides explain what the terraces held and what the site means to the peoples who still treat it as sacred; we follow their lead on where we may walk.
Evening
After about three hours at the site we walk back down to camp for lunch, then about 8 km and 3 to 4 hours down the valley to the return camp, with a swim in the river before dinner.
Included
- Teyuna (Ciudad Perdida) archaeological park entry and community fees
- About 3 hours at the Lost City with the operator's guides and your guide
- Trek day 3, about 10 km in all
- River swim at camp
- Lunch and dinner on the trail
Easier option: Stay on the lower terraces and rest while others climb to the upper platforms; send your bag down by mule for the afternoon walk.
More active option: Climb to the highest terraces for the view back over the site and the valley, where the guides allow it.
Free time: Late afternoon at camp
Activity: About 1,200 uneven stone steps up and down, then about 8 km and 3 to 4 hours downhill in the heat. The earliest start of the trip, for the site's cooler hours; every trek day begins with breakfast at about 6 am.
Out of the hills, sunset at El Rodadero
Return camp to El Mamey (Machete Pelao) on foot, 4x4 to Santa Marta, then El Rodadero
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Santa Marta
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
An early breakfast, then the last stretch, about 15 km and 5 to 6 hours, back along the valley and over the ridge we climbed on the first day. Much of it is downhill on steep red-earth sections that turn slippery after rain, so poles help.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the trailhead in Machete Pelao, a farewell to the trek team, and then the 4x4s take us back to Santa Marta, arriving at about 4 pm. Hot showers, clean clothes and your main luggage are waiting at the hotel, and most hotels in the centre offer same-day laundry. At about 5:30 pm the van runs anyone who wants it 15 minutes south to El Rodadero, Santa Marta's beach district, where the bay is calm enough to float in as the sun goes down and families crowd the sand with plastic chairs and coolers. It is the easiest swim of the trip, and the best place to feel what four days on foot did to your legs.
Evening
Dinner is your choice tonight; your guide has suggestions near the hotel.
Included
- Trek day 4 with the licensed operator's guides, about 15 km
- Lunch at the trailhead
- 4x4 back to Santa Marta
- Sunset swim at El Rodadero beach, with the van
Easier option: Hire a mule for part of the walk out, arranged and paid locally; skip El Rodadero and rest at the hotel.
Free time: Evening and dinner free in Santa Marta
Activity: About 15 km and 5 to 6 hours on foot, mostly downhill, then about 2.5 hours by 4x4.
The Tairona Gold Museum and east to Palomino
Santa Marta to the Tairona Gold Museum, then along the coast road to Palomino
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Palomino
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A slow morning, with no alarm. At 10 am we walk to the Tairona Gold Museum in the old customs house on the bay, free to enter, where the gold pendants, nose ornaments and figures made by the people who built Teyuna make far more sense now that you have climbed their stairs. Your guide takes you through it in about an hour. Then it is about 80 km and an hour and three-quarters east along the coast road, past the turn for the trailhead at El Mamey and the edge of Tayrona National Park, to Palomino, a village where the Palomino river comes down from the Sierra Nevada to the sea. We stay two nights at a small hotel or lodge near the beach.
Afternoon
Lunch together is a sit-down meal in the village, usually fresh fish and coconut rice. The afternoon is for doing nothing at all: a hammock, the sand, or the calm river mouth. The open sea here has strong currents, so swim only where your guide says.
Evening
Dinner is your choice.
Included
- Tairona Gold Museum with your guide
- Drive along the coast to Palomino
- Sit-down lunch in Palomino
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Palomino
Activity: Swim only in the river mouth or where your guide says; the open sea at Palomino has strong currents.
Palomino: down the river to the sea
Palomino, inland on foot, then by inner tube down the Palomino river to the beach
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Palomino
- By boat
Morning
After breakfast, at about 9:30 am, we walk 30 to 40 minutes inland on a farm track through forest and plantations, then sit in inner tubes and float down the Palomino river back to the sea, roughly an hour, with the forested foothills of the Sierra Nevada behind and herons and kingfishers on the banks. In the dry season the river is slow and shallow, sometimes too shallow in places, when we walk a section; life jackets are provided and the local tubing guides float with the group. If your legs have had enough walking, ride a motorbike taxi to the put-in instead, or skip the float and stay in a hammock. The rest of the day is free. For anyone who wants more, a day in Tayrona National Park, about an hour west, can be arranged at extra cost, with the price shown when you book; our Caribbean coast trip gives the park a full day.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner, with a toast to the trek and the people who walked it with us.
Included
- Palomino river float in inner tubes with local guides and life jackets
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- A day in Tayrona National Park, at extra cost (price shown when you book), arranged on request
Easier option: Ride a motorbike taxi to the put-in, paid locally, or skip the float for a hammock day.
More active option: Walk further upstream with the tubing guides for a longer float, where the river allows.
Free time: Afternoon free in Palomino
Activity: A 30 to 40 minute walk, then about an hour on the water. Bring swimwear, sandals and a dry bag.
A last swim, then home
Palomino to Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), Santa Marta
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
The last morning is unhurried: a slow breakfast, a final swim in the river mouth, a walk along the beach, then packing. At about 10 am our driver takes you west along the coast road, past the Tayrona park and around Santa Marta, to Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), about 85 km and two hours, and your guide sees you to check-in. Flights from Santa Marta to Canada and the United States usually connect through Bogotá or another Colombian airport, so confirm the routing when you book, choose a flight leaving after about 1:30 pm and allow time for the connection. If you would like more time on the coast, ask us when you book: our Caribbean coast trip, from Cartagena to Santa Marta's airport, ends where this one starts, so you can do it first and run the two back to back for 16 days. Extra nights in Santa Marta or Palomino can also be added.
Included
- Drop-off at Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), Santa Marta
Free time: Morning free in Palomino
Activity: Book a flight leaving Santa Marta after about 1:30 pm.
- Santa Marta1 night
- First trek camp1 night
- Camp below Teyuna1 night
- Return trek camp1 night
- Santa Marta1 night
- Palomino2 nights
- Santa Martaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to March is the dry season on Colombia's Caribbean coast and in the lower Sierra Nevada: hot, humid days around 30°C on the trail, cooler nights at the camps, and the lowest river levels of the year. Showers still happen in the forest, which turns the red-earth sections slippery. On the trail look for blue morpho butterflies, toucans and the leaf-cutter ants that cross the paths in lines; Palomino's river banks have herons and kingfishers.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Fit walkers who want the Lost City trek done properly, with a briefing before and a rest after
- Travellers finishing our Caribbean coast trip at Santa Marta who want to add the trek
- Anyone curious about the Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada and happy to follow their rules on the trail
- People who sleep well anywhere: bunks, hammocks and cold showers for three nights
- Solo travellers who want a small group and the single supplement shown up front
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who struggles with heat and humidity: the trail is often above 30°C and wet with sweat
- Travellers who want hotels every night or a private room on the trek
- Anyone with knee trouble on long descents or uneven stone steps
- Step-free access or anyone who cannot wade a river
- A beach holiday with a short walk: four of the eight days are hard trekking
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Santa Marta1 night
- First trek camp1 night
- Camp below Teyuna1 night
- Return trek camp1 night
- Santa Marta1 night
- Palomino2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 2 in Santa Marta's historic centre (before and after the trek), 3 in trek camps, 2 near the beach in Palomino
- Hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard in Santa Marta and a small hotel or lodge in Palomino, every room with its own bathroom, named when we confirm your dates
- Trek camps run by the licensed operator: bunks or hammocks with mosquito nets, shared cold showers and toilets
- Luggage storage at the Santa Marta hotel during the trek
- Hotel rooms shared, or your own for a supplement; camps are shared
Transport
- Pick-up at and drop-off to Santa Marta airport (SMR)
- 4x4 from Santa Marta to the trailhead at El Mamey (Machete Pelao) and back
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver in Santa Marta, to El Rodadero and along the coast to Palomino
- Inner tubes and life jackets for the Palomino river float
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, walking the trek with the group
- The licensed operator's trek guides, with an Indigenous guide where the community allows
- Local tubing guides on the Palomino river
Activities
- Teyuna (Ciudad Perdida): the four-day guided trek, archaeological park entry and community fees, about 3 hours at the site
- Santa Marta: a trek briefing, a dusk walk on the bay promenade, the Tairona Gold Museum with your guide and a sunset swim at El Rodadero
- Palomino: the river float to the sea
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: four on the trek and one in Palomino
- 5 dinners: welcome in Santa Marta, three in camp, farewell in Palomino
- Treated drinking water on the trek
Not included
- International flights to and from Santa Marta
- Visa or entry fees, if your passport needs them
- Travel insurance, which must cover trekking
- Meals not listed: lunch on days 1, 7 and 8 and dinner on days 5 and 6
- Drinks, and snacks bought on the trail
- Tips for the trek team, your guide and driver
- Mules or motorbike taxis, paid locally
- Optional activities, such as a day in Tayrona National Park
- Vaccinations, including yellow fever if you choose to have it
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 495 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights (four in hotels, three in trek camps), 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners, airport transfers, the 4x4s to the trailhead, our own vehicle on the coast, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, the licensed operator's trek guides, Teyuna park entry and community fees, the Tairona Gold Museum, El Rodadero and the Palomino river float.
How hard is the Lost City trek?
It is challenging: about 47 km over four days, 4 to 7 hours of walking a day, steep climbs, river crossings and about 1,200 stone steps. Heat and humidity are the hard part, not altitude. Mules can carry your bag, and if you cannot continue, the trek team takes you out by mule and 4x4 to Santa Marta with a guide.
What are the camps like?
Simple and clean enough. The camps have bunks or hammocks under mosquito nets, mostly in shared open-sided shelters, with shared cold showers and flush or basic toilets. Cooks prepare hot meals, and there is treated water to refill bottles. Expect little or no electricity and no phone signal. There are no private rooms on the trek.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. Other Lost City groups take up to 16, so with us the whole group fits around one camp table, hears the guides at the terraces and crosses the rivers together.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the airport to the last day and walks the whole trek. Colombian rules allow only licensed operators to guide walkers to Teyuna, so the operator's guides lead on the trail, with an Indigenous guide where the community allows. Local tubing guides join at Palomino.
I am travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own on the four hotel nights costs from CAD 495 more, shown before you request to book. Camps have no private rooms, so everyone shares there. You join the group on the same terms as everyone else; if you would rather share a hotel room, ask us whether we can pair you with another solo traveller.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 5,930 per person, with your own guide, trek team and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote it.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 3,295 per person sharing a room, with taxes included; prices are indicative until we confirm your dates.
When is the best time to go?
December to March, the dry season, when the trail is driest and the rivers are lowest. June to August is a shorter, drier spell. The Lost City closes for several weeks around September and October for ceremonies and maintenance; dates change each year, so we skip those weeks. October and November are the wettest months, when crossings run deeper. It is hot and humid on the trail all year.
Do I need a visa for Colombia?
Canadian, US, UK and most EU passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Colombia has an online Check-MIG form; airlines may ask for it, and we confirm what applies to your passport when you book.
What happens at the river crossings?
You wade them with the guides. The Buritaca river and its side streams are crossed on foot several times; in the dry season most crossings are knee-deep, and after rain they can reach the waist, when the guides string ropes or wait for the water to drop. Bring sandals or water shoes and a dry bag.
Can I combine this with the Caribbean coast trip?
Yes. Our Caribbean coast trip runs from Cartagena through Minca and Tayrona to Santa Marta's airport, where this trip starts, so the two run back to back for 16 days. Palomino is repeated only briefly: the coast trip has Tayrona, Minca and a short Palomino afternoon, and this one recovers at Palomino for two nights.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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