Ciudad Perdida

Among the peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains is ... The Lost City, or Ciudad Perdida . You will ask how it can be missing if everyone knows where it is? Well, Ciudad Perdida, belonging to the Taironi people , was conquered by the Spaniards. The inhabitants were exterminated and the city was taken over by nature. The lush vegetation overgrown Ciudad Perdida so successfully that it was not rediscovered until the 1970s.

Ciudad Perdida, Colombia - © Brate

It is worth adding that the discoverers of the city were ... thieves who searched old tombs. Only after some time the Colombian authorities and archaeologists managed to put the area under protection. According to anthropological research, Ciudad Perdida was built around 700 AD and was the most important urban center among 250 Indian settlements so far discovered in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Its population ranged from 1,400 to 3,000 inhabitants . The houses, with foundations built on a circular plan, were situated on special terraces. A trip to Ciudad Perdida takes about 4-5 days . During this time, you will hike in the mountains under the supervision of local guides. Travel agencies organizing trips to the city operate mainly in Santa Marta.

For whom?

If you are an explorer and would like to see one of the better-preserved ancient cities in this part of Colombia, be sure to consider a trip to Ciudad Perdida. Remember, however, that a trip to the Lost City is a proposal for people who are in good shape and have at least minimal experience in mountain trekking .