Discover Teyuna

Lost City Teyuna

tha-awards-tourism-teyuna-prize-2023-lost-city-trek-price-new-colombia-santa-marta
Telegram-Whatsapp-Down-ciudad-perdida-tour-lost-city-tour-ciudad-perdida-colombia-sierra-nevada-trekking-main-teyuna-tours

Whatsapp down? Contact us by Telegram

Have a look at the Lost Cityt trek gallery with one click
gift-card-tezhuna-travel-tezhunatravel-teyuna-ciudad-perdida-lost-city-trek-agency-nature-ecotourism

Lost City Trek

Get to know Teyuna, Buritaca-200 or Ciudad Perdida through a multiple-day trek called Lost City trek or Ciudad Perdida trek. This outstanding archaeological site is one of the more than 250 ancient villages found in the northern and southwestern face of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta – Magdalena department, in northern Colombia – belonging to the Taironas, ancestors of the four indigenous groups living in Sierra Nevada nowadays.

The Lost City

Teyuna was discovered in 1976 by a team of archaeologists from the Colombian Institute of Anthropology headed by Gilberto Cadavid and Luisa Fernada Herrera; it was almost entirely restored between 1976 and 1982 and it can be visited through a Ciudad Perdida trek of 4, 5 or 6 days.

Ciudad Perdida is a majestic ancient city built in stones by a civilization called “Tairona”; it is located on the northeastern slope of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Its construction started about the years 700 A.D. approximately and Teyuna protects all the mysteries, traditions and legends of the ancient ancestral population that inhabited this beautiful corner of a paradise called Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

TripAdvisor – Lost City Trek reviews

  • star rating  I can only recommend the lost city trek with Teyuna Tours!
    Everything was excellent: the food, the scenery and our guides Ruth and Pedro. We learnt a lot about... read more

    klatschannette
    May 23, 2023

    star rating  I'm not much of a hiker, but this was an amazing experience. Our guides Ruth and Pedro were very informative, taught us about the local culture and the beautiful Lost... read more

    300lukasg
    May 20, 2023

    star rating  We booked a (6 person) 4-day trip to go to the Lost City with the English speaking guide Luis (Vergel Barrios), accompanied by Soche and the cook Patricia.
    All did... read more

    Leonhard R
    April 30, 2023
  • star rating  I couldnt recommend Teyuna highly enough, the whole team are fantastic and we had an AMAZING experience with them. The lost city trek isnt for the faint hearted but Teyuna... read more

    gemmahZ9896TF
    April 16, 2023

    star rating  unbelievable is all i can say. Nicolas was an absolute pleasure, very informative and attentive. He answered all the 5000 questions i had asked with detailed yet concise answers. He... read more

    gurtiscray
    April 11, 2023

    star rating  Just came down from the trek and still buzzing with the amazing experience. I will be forever thankful with teyuna tours and our guide John and translator Jose. AMAZING team... read more

    Alejandra A
    April 11, 2023
  • star rating  Our trip on March 22nd together with our perfect guides Jorge and Pecho.
    We have to say a special thanks to Pecho who took on the way back... read more

    agostino c
    April 8, 2023

    star rating  Teyuna Tours is a company owned by the guides so it makes the attention to detail and client satisfaction a unique experience. You are not another hiker, you are a... read more

    marthan898
    April 2, 2023

    star rating  The Lost City Trek with Teyuna Tours was an incredible experience. Our guides Ruth and Indio made the experience extremely special. They were very friendly and knowledgable about the area... read more

    isobelsloan
    April 2, 2023
  • star rating  Amazing experience! Wonderful guides team! Thanks Gabo, Indio and Samuel to make this trip so incredible and unforgettable. I recommend Teyuna tours for the professional work and service.

    Juan Sebastian Z
    March 25, 2023

    star rating  Best 50th birthday gift to myself this amazing and unforgettable experience! Teyuna exceeded my expectations and I was lucky to be in a great group with such fantastic guides Yeison... read more

    Claudia P
    March 19, 2023

    star rating  I did the four day Ciudad Perdida with Teyuna Tours and it was simply amazing! The whole trek was really well accommodated with good food, snacks, drinks, places to sleep... read more

    menno d
    March 13, 2023
  • star rating  I planned this trip for years and it was better than I could have imagined, with the help of the best guides: Luis (main guide), Soche (assistant) and Patricia (chef)... read more

    O2350SZdiegor
    March 12, 2023

    star rating  I had a great experience with Pedro and Juan the translator at the Lost City 4 day tour. Juan is very amazing and caring and took care of me and... read more

    mersede_mirshamsi
    March 12, 2023

    star rating  Had an absolutely amazing time! Our guide Micael and translator Niko were fantastic and so knowledgeable - we learnt loads about the history of Teyuna (the Lost City), the people... read more

    annabels997
    March 11, 2023
  • star rating  The tourguides (especially Luis) were really kind and experienced! Luis even went back for my phone when I forgot it at camp. The background story Luis told was amazing, he... read more

    MatthewMelgersElena
    March 10, 2023

    star rating  This was the best adventure I’ve ever had and the people I’ve meet on this journey became my friends. I hesitated to do it solo but all I can say... read more

    traianlung
    March 10, 2023

    star rating  Before I went to Colombia the Lost City trek was on top of my list. I ended up going with Teyuna tours and I do not regret it one bit!... read more

    Simondb18
    March 9, 2023
  • star rating  I did the tour in February 2023 with my guy Misael "El Tigre". Our group was only 7 people big which made the whole experience way more enjoyable. Our guide... read more

    643leonl
    March 9, 2023

    star rating  I joined Teyuna tours on this incredible experience with the absolutely best team - Luis (tour guide), Soche (assistant) and Patricia (chef)! If you want a tour from people who... read more

    Y6314EPjuliab
    March 8, 2023

    star rating  We had the best experience with our guide Luis and Sourche, who took such good care of us and was so present to the group. Luis told us so much... read more

    nanna009
    March 5, 2023
  • star rating  We had a fantastic tour with Ruth and the whole team. While the route and the camps are the same for all tours, I especially enjoyed how well we were... read more

    769uwes
    March 3, 2023

    star rating  Was a really cool experience! Went with Ruth and Neider. Awesome people. Also the cooks, Jose and Sandra were amazing. 10/10 can recommend 🙂

    Christian B
    March 3, 2023

    star rating  Tato, Gustavo, Pollo and Mono (and the rest of the staff) were the best! Lovely people, and amazing experience. I would recommend this to everyone who has the opportunity to... read more

    Joris S
    February 28, 2023
  • star rating  The whole organisation was absolutely spot on. We were amazed how everything works well in the middle of jungle!

    Pedro our tour guide was amazing! Very happy and... read more

    567patrykb
    February 15, 2023

    star rating  Teyuna Tours provided myself and my group with a truly unforgettable experience, going above and beyond the call of duty at every turn.

    Luis (el comandante!) has expert... read more

    GrandTour758901
    February 15, 2023

    star rating  Had an amazing time doing the Lost City trek with Teyuna tours!! Everything was organised super well and our knowledgeable guide Misael, capable and funny translator Eduín, always happy cook... read more

    Robin T
    February 12, 2023
  • star rating  I can't say that Teyuna is the best tour company for the Lost City Trek because I've never dealt with the others. However, I can say that they were... read more

    jmaple
    February 9, 2023

    star rating  I had the best experience with Teyuna Tours! I did the four day ciudad perdida and loved every minute of it. At times it was hard, but our tour guide... read more

    anne_m_smit
    February 9, 2023

    star rating  Visiting Cuidad Perdida after the hard walk was amazing. But it went from a 9 to a 10 because of our guide, his grandson Ferney, and the cook Samuel. Carlos,... read more

    Nick59b
    February 9, 2023

Explore the Origin

Lost City Trek

3 days

ciudad-perdida-6-dias-teyuna

Best option for visitors who prefer to have an exclusive experience, and have an excellent physical condition.

Lost City Trek

4 days

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna
Favourite choice of many travelers, recommended for trekking and adventure lovers.

Lost City Trek

5 days

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna
This adventure is designed for people who prefer to go at a slower pace, even without having much time.

Our Experiences

Cabo de la Vela

Punta Gallinas

cabo de la vela Guajira Colombia
Discover La Guajira,  its incredible landscapes and the ancestral traditions of Wayúus, the largest native group of Colombia.

Tayrona Park

Cabo San Juan

 

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna
Walk through the forest and enjoy heavenly beaches in this tour in Tayrona National Park, one of the most important natural reserves of Colombia.

Tayrona Park

Neguanje / Playa Cristal

ciudad-perdida-6-dias-teyuna

Get to know one of the most beautiful and iconic beaches of Tayrona National Park, and the  marine weatlh of its coral reefs.

Don Diego

Taironaka

cabo de la vela Guajira Colombia
Don Diego river, the archaeological reserve of Taironaka and the unique landscapes of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are waiting for you!

Don Diego

Night Artisanal Fishing

 

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna
The artisanal fishing tour in Don Diego river and mouth is an experience that will give you all the emotions of the art of fishing, in a setting with incomparable night beauty.

Sierra Nevada

Minca

ciudad-perdida-6-dias-teyuna

Minca with its picturesque landscape, breathtaking views, and several waterfalls, is well worth a stop during a visit to the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Sierra Nevada

Gotsezhy – 1 day

cabo de la vela Guajira Colombia

In Gotzeshy you will breath the essence of Sierra Nevada: native guides will lead you to discover the natural weatlh and the ancestral traditions of the region.

Sierra Nevada

Gotsezhy – 2 days

 

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna

Gotsezhy Indigenous Refuge belongs to Wiwa community: explore the origin and enjoy landscapes and ancestral culture of our mountains.

Sierra Nevada

Cherúa

Palmor-Cherua-natives-village-kogui-coffee-honey-ciudad-perdida-tour-lost-city-tour-ciudad-perdida-colombia-sierra-nevada-trekking-teyuna-tours
Produce of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, its landscapes and ancestral cultures: discover our mountains visiting  Cherúa.

Sierra Nevada

Cerro Kennedy – 2 days

cabo de la vela Guajira Colombia

Cerro Kennedy is the best option for trekking and enjoying the landscapes of our amazing Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Sierra Nevada

Cerro Kennedy – 3 days

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna

Discover Cerro Kennedy and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in a 3-day tour of immersion in the magical nature of our mountains!

Sailing Tour

Bahía Concha

 

ciudad-perdida-4-dias-teyuna

Live an unforgettable experience, visit one of our most beautiful beaches by a sailing tour: the Caribbean Sea as you always imagined it!

Santa Marta

Catamaran Night Trip

cabo de la vela Guajira Colombia

White Party, a unique experience: enjoy the incredible sunset view of Santa Marta’s coastline and our warm and welcoming culture!

Los Flamencos

Wayúu Experience

Wayuu-Camarones-flamingos-experience-travel-teyuna-Guajira-desert-natives-sea-Colombia-beach-1


Visit Los Flamencos Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in La Guajira, discover Camarones, live an adventure full of wild beauty!

Santa Marta

Pirate Ship

pirates-experience-boat-santa-marta-ciudad-perdida-tour-lost-city-tour-ciudad-perdida-colombia-sierra-nevada-trekking-tayrona

Join the Pirate Ship Tour, live a very unique experience with Teyuna Tours!

Why are we different?

We are Teyuna Tours, the only Lost City trek operator to be directly owned by local guides with more than 15 years of experience, we have traveled and lived the magic of archaeological and sacred places in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range for a long time, developing a broad knowledge and reliability in Lost City treks operation.

We are a group of local Lost City trek guides who have been training to be professionals, in order to provide authentic ethno-tourism and eco-tourism experiences to our visitors; we are strongly driven by the desire to create and promote a culture of conservation and care for environment, habits and traditions of our communities.

With this strong will, we could make our dream a solid reality when getting together and creating Teyuna Tours, get to know more about our project:

Santa Marta Tour Guides created their own tour operator company: Teyuna Tours

The Lost City is providing a solid nature tourism alternative 

Reservations and Contacts

Teyuna, Buritaca-200 or Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City) is one of the more than 250 ancient villages...

... belonging to the four indigenous groups’ ancestral heritage and found in the northern and southwestern face of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, Magdalena department, northern Colombia.

Teyuna or Ciudad Perdida was discovered in 1976 by a team of archaeologists from the Colombian Institute of Anthropology headed by Gilberto Cadavid and Luisa Fernada Herrera; it was almost entirely restored between 1976 and 1982.

Members of the local indigenous tribes, descendants of the Tairona culture – the Arhuaco, the Koguis, the Wiwas and the Kankuamos – have stated that they visited the site on a regular basis before its rediscovery was made public and way before Lost City treks started, but that they had kept a secret about it.

They call Ciudad Perdida “Teyuna” and believe it was the most important spiritual center at the time, heart of a network of villages inhabited by their ancestors, the Taironas. Ciudad Perdida, which can be visited nowadays thanks to Lost City treks, was probably the political and manufacturing center of the region, being located in the valley of Buritaca river and probably inhabited by 2,000 to 8,000 people. It was apparently abandoned during the Spanish conquest.
The Lost City

The site that can be reached only by taking the so-called Ciudad Perdida trek, extends between 900 and 1,300 meters above sea level, on the foothills of Cerro Corea, in the northern face of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, on the right side of Buritaca river.

The main attraction of the Lost City trek, Ciudad Perdida, is known as Teyuna by the indigenous people of the area and therefore the name of the archaeological site: Ciudad Perdida-Teyuna Archaeological Park, even though within the nomenclature of archaeological sites located in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, it is also known as Buritaca-200.

The area within Ciudad Perdida-Teyuna Archaeological Park includes a complex system of constructions, flagstone trails (trails paved with flat-cut stones), stairs and containing walls, path connecting a series of circular terraces and platforms on which the ceremonial centers, houses and food storages (silos) were built.

The structures that were discovered so far occupy an area of approximately 35 hectares, in which up to 169 stone terraces and more 240 stone rings can be found. Since its discovery, Ciudad Perdida and Ciudad Perdida treks have been managed and regulated by the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), which is the public entity in charge of Ciudad Perdida-Teyuna Archaeological Park.

Being an archaeological park conserved by a national authority, located inside of the National Natural Park of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta -which overlaps with a native reservation inhabited by local indigenous groups too-, in order to reach the Lost City through a Lost City trek it is necessary to make a series of contributions to both communities living in the region in which the trek takes place: farming and indigenous communities, in fact, are in charge of performing maintenance on the trails, and to keep peace and harmony on the way to this ancestral site.

How long does it take to get to Ciudad Perdida?

Ciudad Perdida-Teyuna Archaeological Park can only be visited through several days of walking in the heart of the amazing tropical forest of Sierra Nevada, in a guided tour that takes between 3 and 6 days – the so-called Lost City or Ciudad Perdida trek – operated by TEYUNA TOURS, travel agency based in Santa Marta, Colombia.

How long is the hike to the Lost City?

The hike to the Lost City is 4 to 6 days long; it’s a walk of more than 50 km in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, involving river crossings, uphills, downhills, outstanding views, native communities and archaeological ruins.

How much is the Lost City Trek Colombia?

The 4 and 5-day Lost City Trek costs$1.750.000 COP and $2.050.000 per person in 2023; these prices includes transportation, guide service, lodging, food, entrance fees, contribution to local communities, travel insurance.

How difficult is the Lost City Trek?

This trekking involves long walks (more than 50 km in total) and takes place in a tropical forest, with high temperatures (up to about 32°C). It is usually hot and very humid, even if during the night temperatures may get as low as 17-18°C. There are a lot of mosquitoes, bugs and other insects, so that we recommend to bring insect repellent; chances of rain are usually pretty high, especially during the afternoon, so the trail can be muddy, and it is necessary to cross rivers and streams.

More information

Teyuna or Ciudad Perdida, also known as the Lost City trek in Colombia, was discovered in 1976 by archaeologists from the Colombian Institute of Anthropology. It was almost entirely restored between 1976 and 1982. The site, which is considered the most important spiritual center of the indigenous tribes in the area, can be visited nowadays through the Lost City trek.

The Lost City trek, also known as the Ciudad Perdida trek, is a guided tour operated by TEYUNA TOURS, a travel agency based in Santa Marta, Colombia. The trek takes between 3 and 6 days to complete and involves walking through the tropical forest of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, crossing rivers, navigating uphills and downhills, and exploring archaeological ruins.

The Lost City trek is managed and regulated by the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), as it is located within the Ciudad Perdida-Teyuna Archaeological Park, a national natural park that overlaps with a native reservation inhabited by local indigenous groups. To reach Ciudad Perdida, visitors are required to make contributions to both the farming and indigenous communities in the region as part of the trek.

The Lost City trek costs $1.750.000 COP for the 4-day trek and $2.050.000 COP for the 5-day trek per person in 2023. The cost includes transportation, guide service, lodging, food, entrance fees, contribution to local communities, and travel insurance.

The Lost City trek is a challenging adventure, involving long walks in a tropical forest with high temperatures, humidity, and mosquitoes. However, the trek offers outstanding views, unique cultural experiences with local indigenous communities, and a chance to explore the ancient ruins of Ciudad Perdida.

In conclusion, if you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure in Colombia, the Lost City trek, also known as Ciudad Perdida trek, is a must-visit destination. Managed by the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, this guided tour offers a unique opportunity to explore the ancient ruins of Teyuna, also known as the Lost City, while supporting local communities and experiencing the natural beauty of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Book your trek with TEYUNA TOURS and embark on an unforgettable journey into the heart of the Colombian jungle.

Disclaimer - Teyuna Tours S.A.S.

The company is exempt from any kind of responsibility coming from the pre-existing conditions of the visitors, including medical or physical conditions, or even of a different nature, such as pregnancy and others that may affect the health of the visitor him/herself.

If you have questions regarding our services, level of difficulty of the walks, the Lost City treks or other details, feel free to contact us and we will be really glad to advise you.