Lost City (Teyuna) · Sierra Nevada
The slow version of the same trek. The first three days are the classic's; day four takes the waterfall route and day five is about three hours to El Mamey. It does not buy an easier climb — it buys a much shorter exit.
From
COP 2,150,000
per person
Pay 10% now · COP 215,000
Balance in Santa Marta
4.8 · 847 Lost City trek reviews · Local operator since 2004
The route
One extra night at camp and more time on the terraces. The same trail. We have run it since 2004.
Day 1
07:00 pickup. Two and a half hours by 4×4 to the trailhead. A gentle first day: flat ground, three river crossings, the group is at camp by 14:00. The afternoon is yours to swim, to read, to ask the guide every question you have been saving for months.
Day 2
The second day shortens. The path winds through the cloud forest, with a long stop at a natural swimming pool for lunch. The pace is intentionally slow — you have a day to spare and the operator is using it.
Day 3
Half a day to reach the camp below the terraces. The afternoon is set aside for the elders to talk with the group: about the four communities, the closing of October, what respectful tourism means from their side. Listen more than you photograph.
Day 4
The ascent to Teyuna in the early light, then a slow afternoon on the terraces — more time at the site than the 4-day version allows. Back at camp for dinner and the long talk around the fire.
Day 5
Same descent as the 4-day route, but a quieter day. The group is tired; the trail is forgiving. Lunch at Adán, transfer to El Mamey, back in Santa Marta by 16:00.
1 5
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.
A different way out. The first three days are the 4-day trek exactly: in to Adán, across to Paso Lorenzo, then the pre-dawn climb to Teyuna and back down to Múmake. Day four takes the waterfall route instead of walking straight for the trailhead, and day five is a short stage of about three hours to El Mamey. It is 62 km against the 4-day's 60 — barely more distance, spread over four nights instead of three.
Easier at the end, identical in the middle. It does not buy an easier climb: the ascent to Teyuna is the same 1,200 stone steps on the same pre-dawn schedule as every other version. What it buys is a much shorter exit — the 4-day walks out in one long final stage, the 5-day splits that across the waterfall route and a three-hour morning. Daily walking runs 3 to 7 hours instead of 4 to 7.
Trekkers with eight or more days in the region who would rather walk the Sierra at conversation pace than tick it off. It suits people who want camp time and the waterfall route more than they want to be back in Santa Marta a day earlier, and people who know their legs prefer a gentle final day to a long one. It is not a beginner's discount on the climb — if the 1,200 steps worry you, the extra day does not change them.
No. The archaeological site visit is identical across all three versions: the same ascent, the same 1,200 steps, the same time on the upper terraces at 1,209 m with your guide. The fifth day adds trail and camp, not site access. If more hours at Teyuna itself is what you are after, that is arranged with the guide on the day rather than bought with a longer package.
A hammock or a bunk with a mosquito net, a blanket and a basic mattress, at official camps along the trail. Full board across the five days: four breakfasts, five lunches, four dinners, plus snacks and fresh fruit. Groups are capped at 12 trekkers. Daytime sits at 28–32 °C year-round and the nights are cooler but never cold — the blanket is for the damp, not the temperature.
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 2,150,000 Per person · 10% deposit now · Balance at the operator's office in Santa Marta
847 Lost City trek reviews