Deep in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, surrounded by tropical rainforest, rushing rivers, and towering mountains, lies the Lost City, one of the greatest archaeological treasures in the Americas. Built around 700 AD by the Tayrona people, this complex of circular terraces, stone stairways, and ancient pathways was a major political, spiritual, and economic center thriving centuries before Machu Picchu.
Its rediscovery in the 1970s unveiled not only a unique archaeological site but also the enduring bond that the present-day Indigenous peoples the Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco, and Kankuamo maintain with this sacred territory. For them, the Lost City remains a place of living memory, spirituality, and balance with nature.
Reaching it is a transformative journey: a 4- to 6-day trek across crystal-clear rivers, humid rainforest, and rich biodiversity, while encountering communities that preserve ancestral traditions. The experience culminates in a climb up more than 1,200 stone steps leading to the heart of the ancient city, where circular terraces rise above the jungle as if suspended in time.
Visiting the Lost City is not only about discovering an archaeological wonder it is an immersion into the history of the Tayrona, an encounter with Indigenous worldviews, and a chance to feel the spiritual force of the Sierra Nevada, revered as the “heart of the world” by its guardians.
