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Ciudad Perdida, or Teyuna, is an archaeological site on the northern face of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. You can only get there on foot: from Santa Marta you ride by 4×4 to El Mamey, where the trail starts, and the trek takes 3, 4 or 5 days with a certified guide.
2026 closure: from September 28 to October 15, 2026.
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Ciudad Perdida was built by Tairona societies: its oldest living areas date to around AD 650, the terraces and walls visible today were built between 1200 and 1600, and the site was abandoned between 1580 and 1650, according to ICANH (the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History) on its Teyuna Archaeological Park page (in Spanish), consulted October 7, 2026. It was officially discovered in 1976: the site came to light through looting by grave robbers, and the expedition was organized by the then Colombian Institute of Anthropology and led by archaeologists Luisa Fernanda Herrera and Gilberto Cadavid.
More than 200 structures have been located in the park, spread over about 33 hectares. The peoples of the Sierra Nevada call the place Tezhuna (Kogui), Terruna (Wiwa) and Teyruna (Iku), according to the management plan of Parques Nacionales Naturales, Colombia's national parks service.
Each number matches the map.
The 4×4 from Santa Marta stops here, and the hike begins.
A Kogui village on the trail, near the homes of Kogui and Wiwa families.
Respect in the Sierra NevadaCiudad Perdida lies in the upper basin of the Buritaca River.
The final climb to the terraces, 40 minutes to 1 hour from the last camp.
More than 200 structures over about 33 hectares, between 900 and 1,200 meters above sea level.
The place is the same. The pace, the nights and the way back change.
| 3 days2 nights at camps | 4 days3 nights at camps | 5 days4 nights at camps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days2 nights at camps | 4 days3 nights at camps | 5 days4 nights at camps | |
| Hiking hours per day | 7 to 9 h | 6 to 8 h | — |
| What changes | You reach the last camp on day 1 and climb to Teyuna on day 2. | One more night on the trail; you climb to Teyuna on day 3. | You return along the waterfall route, with one more night. |
| Lost City, 3 days | Lost City, 4 days | Lost City, 5 days |
There is no entry to Ciudad Perdida on those dates.
If your trip falls then, look at these other places:
The Ciudad Perdida area has two dry seasons and two rainy seasons, and the trek has a closure in 2026.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain | Rain in January: little or none | Rain in February: little or none | Rain in March: little or none | Rain in April: some | Rain in May: some | Rain in June: some | Rain in July: little or none | Rain in August: little or none | Rain in September: a lot | Rain in October: a lot | Rain in November: a lot | Rain in December: a lot |
| Dry months | Dry months in January: a lot | Dry months in February: a lot | Dry months in March: a lot | Dry months in April: little or none | Dry months in May: little or none | Dry months in June: little or none | Dry months in July: a lot | Dry months in August: a lot | Dry months in September: little or none | Dry months in October: little or none | Dry months in November: little or none | Dry months in December: little or none |
| Closure | Closure in January: little or none | Closure in February: little or none | Closure in March: little or none | Closure in April: little or none | Closure in May: little or none | Closure in June: little or none | Closure in July: little or none | Closure in August: little or none | Closure in September: some | Closure in October: some | Closure in November: little or none | Closure in December: little or none |
It rains from April to late June and, more heavily, from mid-September to late December. The climate at Teyuna is mild, humid and very rainy, with nights of 18 °C to 22 °C (64 °F to 72 °F).
The two dry seasons run from January to late March and in July and August.
The trek is closed from September 28 to October 15, 2026; ICANH may also close the park for natural hazards, access, maintenance or public order.
Before you hike
There is no cell signal at the Teyuna Archaeological Park, and all trash must go back to Santa Marta. The visit can only be made with a certified guide, because the trail isn't marked and it's easy to get lost: walk with your group and follow your guide's directions, in the villages and near the homes too.
For the Ciudad Perdida trek, carry a small or medium backpack with what you'll need each day:
3 days and 2 nightsThe 3-day Lost City trek is the fastest version of the hike: it leaves Santa Marta at 4:30 a.m., adds a motorcycle ride on day 1 and reaches Ciudad Perdida (Teyuna) on day 2. You sleep two nights in camps and hike 7 to 9 hours a day. It costs COP 2,200,000 per person, for 2 or more travelers.
Next date: Fri Oct 16
Per person
4 days and 3 nightsThe 4-day Lost City trek leaves Santa Marta at 8:00 a.m. and reaches Teyuna on day 3, after about 1,200 stone steps. You spend three nights in Sierra Nevada camps and hike 6 to 8 hours a day. It costs COP 1,860,000 per person, including transport, meals, a guide, insurance and park entry.
Next date: Fri Oct 16
Per person
5 days and 4 nightsThe 5-day Lost City trek covers the hike to Teyuna in shorter days and adds the waterfall route on the way back. It leaves the Expotur Eco office in Santa Marta at 9:00 a.m., reaches the terraces on day 3 and spends four nights in camps. It costs COP 2,150,000 per person.
Next date: Fri Oct 16
Per person
4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor6,458 reviews of Expotur Eco, the operator. Checked on October 7, 2026.
Book with 7%7% deposit of the total. An advisor confirms within 12 hours at most.
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Minca: travel guideCiudad Perdida (Teyuna) is on the northern face of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in the upper Buritaca River basin, within the Kogui-Malayo-Arhuaco reservation and the District of Santa Marta, according to ICANH, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History. It sits between 900 and 1,200 meters above sea level, and there are no roads for vehicles: you can only reach it on a hike of several days from El Mamey.
Ciudad Perdida was officially discovered in 1976, according to ICANH. The site came to light through looting by grave robbers, and the then Colombian Institute of Anthropology organized the expedition, led by archaeologists Luisa Fernanda Herrera and Gilberto Cadavid. Ciudad Perdida was built by Tairona societies: the terraces and walls visible today were built between 1200 and 1600.
In 2026, entry to the Teyuna Archaeological Park, where Ciudad Perdida is, costs COP 75,000 per person, a single rate, according to ICANH. You can't buy the ticket at a ticket office on your own, because ICANH only sells it to tour operators with a valid National Tourism Registry. On the 3-, 4- and 5-day Ciudad Perdida tours, the entrance fee is already included in the price.
No. There is no cell signal at the Teyuna Archaeological Park, where Ciudad Perdida is, according to ICANH, so let your family know before you start the hike and plan on days without a connection. All your trash must go back with you to Santa Marta. For the nights at the camps, bring a flashlight or headlamp.
Yes. After the trek, take a rest day in Santa Marta and travel by road to Riohacha, where tours to Alta Guajira leave at 8:30 a.m. With the 4-day trek and the 3-day Punta Gallinas tour, the whole trip fits into about 9 days: 4 on the trek, 1 to rest, 1 to reach Riohacha and 3 on the tour.
Next trip
Desert and sea in northern Colombia. Tours leave from Riohacha by 4×4.