Lost City (Teyuna) · Sierra Nevada
60 km through Sierra Nevada cloud forest. 1,200 stone steps to Teyuna. The same Santa Marta operator since 2004.
From
COP 1,860,000
per person
Pay 10% now · COP 186,000
Balance in Santa Marta
4.8 · 847 Lost City trek reviews · Local operator since 2004
The route
The classic crossing since 2004. Rain makes the last descent muddy — never dangerous.
Day 1
07:00 pickup at your hotel in Santa Marta. Two and a half hours by 4×4 to the trailhead at El Mamey. From here, the road disappears and the path begins: a humid, flat warm-up crossing of three rivers, the first entry into the cloud forest.
Day 2
The longest day. The path follows indigenous trails — stone, root, and at times the dry bed of the Buritaca river. Your guide will stop often to name plants, point out jaguar prints, talk about the four communities that still own this territory and grant the access. Camp at the river.
Day 3
Wake before dawn. The climb begins in the dark, in cool air, with headlamps. The 1,200 stone steps unroll underfoot over roughly an hour. By the time the sun clears the canopy you are standing on the first of 169 terraces — and your guide is asking you to be quiet, because the elders are walking below.
Day 4
A long descent on the same path, knees-tested. Lunch on the river at Adán. A final cold drink waiting in El Mamey. Back in Santa Marta between 15:00 and 17:00, depending on how the trail behaved.
1 4
Cost
What's included, what isn't, and what to pack.
The journey
Six frames from recent groups. Same trail, camps, and food.
Why trek with us
Magic Tour Colombia handles logistics; the same Santa Marta team walks the forest.
What they wrote
Public TripAdvisor reviews of Magic Tour Colombia — edited to one line.
Questions
Your question not here? Write to us on WhatsApp. A person answers — never a chatbot.
Because it is the cheapest of the three and the easiest to walk, which surprises people who assume the short version saves money. It is COP 1,860,000 against COP 2,200,000 for the 3-day. It covers more ground than the express version — 60 km against 50 km — and spreads it across four days at 4 to 7 hours, so no single stage is punishing. It is also the only version that departs every morning, with no minimum group.
Pickup in Santa Marta at 07:00 on day one, then the drive to the trailhead at El Mamey and a walk in to Adán. Day two crosses to Paso Lorenzo via Múmake. Day three is the one you came for: a pre-dawn start, the 1,200 stone steps up to Teyuna at 1,209 m, time on the terraces with your guide, then back down to Múmake. Day four walks out to El Mamey and drives back to Santa Marta. Three nights at camp, in a hammock or a bunk with a mosquito net.
The trek runs in all conditions. Rain is common, especially from May to November. Trails become muddy, the river crossings swell, and the last descent is slower. You should bring a real rain jacket, two dry bags for electronics and documents, and quick-dry clothing. Trail runners that drain beat boots here, because your feet will be wet either way and boots hold the water. The operator will not cancel a trek for rain.
Tips are not included and are not expected, but they are appreciated. The unspoken convention in the Sierra is COP 50,000 to COP 100,000 per trekker, split between the guide team and the cook. Bring small bills — there is nowhere on the trail to change a COP 50,000 note.
Yes. Lead guides are authorised locals based in Santa Marta and the Sierra — not outsourced city guides. We have run this trail since 2004. They work in Spanish; an English translator joins international groups. Which guide walks your specific date varies with the departure — ask us and we will tell you before you book.
Reschedule for free up to seven days before departure. After that, the deposit is non-refundable. The operator strongly recommends buying travel insurance that covers trekking cancellations.
Book your spot
Same trail, same operator since 2004 — pick the duration that fits your pace and confirm with 10%. Balance at the operator's office in Santa Marta the day before departure.
COP 1,860,000 Per person · 10% deposit now · Balance at the operator's office in Santa Marta
847 Lost City trek reviews