Another must see travel site in Colombia's Carribean coastal region, Ciudad Perdida ("Lost City") is a classic Indiana Jones style 6 day (5 night) 20km trek through the rainforest to some of the most magical of South America's ruins. Many tourists that do visit Ciudad Perdida rank it as one of their most memorable travel experiences ever.
The adventure trek is tough at times and involves crossing various rivers. The region is extremely biodiverse and there's much wildlife and birdlife in the rainforests you travel through. You'll also pass through numerous small indigenous villages and meet local Tayrona Indians. Sleeping is in hammocks, in a tent or maybe a farmhouse - zones are designated for camping, and bathrooms and cooking facilites are present. On the uphill sections of the trek you'll cover 4 to 8 km a day - coming down is quicker and you'll cover about 14km on Day 5.
Ciudad Perdida's History
The area (the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta) is remote and the ruins of Ciudad Perdida were only "re-discovered" in 1975. The local indigenous groups knew about it's existence long before this date though - but kept everything a secret from the "outsiders". It's believed that there are many other undiscovered ruins scattered throughout this region of Colombia.
The ruins themselves of Ciudad Perdida date back to the first century and the Tayrona culture. In it's hay day, it's believed that the population was as great as 10,000 people.
Tour Operators & How to book a Ciudad Perdida Trek
To visit the ruins at Ciudad Perdida, you need to arrange a tour - it's just not possible to freestyle it. Booking a tour can be done quite easily in nearby Santa Marta. It is not possible to travel to the Lost City on your own - an authorised guide is a necessity. All Ciudad Perdida tours are arranged by Turcol, who are the only tour operator with a licence to operate tours in the area. Any other tour operators who offer Ciudad Perdida packages are simply middlemen, and there is very little point in booking through anyone other than Turcol. Equipment should be provided by the tour operator. For those with money to burn and little time, you could even arrange a helicopter tour.
Ciudad Perdida & Safety Issues
Safety remains an issue - there are cocoa farms (that are often visited on the tours) and paramilitaries do frequent the area. The UK's FCO travel advice advises against travel to Ciudad Perdida (current as of 2008), though travel agencies and tour operators will tell you that it is safe, and lots of tourists do visit without any problems. Turcol, who operate all the tours to Ciudad Perdida, apparently have an agreement with the local paramilitaries that they will protect the tourists from any nearby guerillas [rumour - ed].
Tourists were kidnapped doing the Ciudad Perdida trek in 2003. After a few months they were released unharmed, and rumours persist that it was a pre-planned (ie. with the tourists prior agreement) operation designed as a publicity stunt. Who knows...
