Trying to find Colombia’s Lost City | Adventure Hike to Teyuna also known as Ciudad Perdida

Trying to find Colombia’s Lost City | Adventure Hike to Teyuna also known as Ciudad Perdida

The mountains of northern Colombia hide one
of South America’s most impressive manmade wonders. Teyuna, known as Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City. It’s centuries older than Machu Picchu,
but draws only a fraction of the visitors. Getting here takes a four-day uphill hike
on muddy paths once ruled by drug smugglers, treasure thieves and hostage-takers. Where now traditional tribes meet
modern travellers, in an awe-inspiring environment. Follow me on a trek to the Lost City. This is the most comfortable we will be for
the next four days, jolting in a transporter up the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Our hike begins in a village officially
named El Mamey. But locals call it Machete, after the blades
wielded during an outbreak of violence several decades ago. This town used to be at the center of a narco
trafficking route, bringing cocaine and marijuana from the mountains to the sea. But today it’s a peaceful place, bringing
tourists to and from the Ciudad Perdida. Here we meet our main guide, Pablo,
from the indigenous Wiwa tribe. Pablo warns our group what’s ahead –
early starts, and wet weather. Plastic bags are essential. We’ll be marching 23 kilometers each way. Off we go. Within minutes, the road is mud. No one’s shoes are spared. Except for our guides, who know it’s best
to wear rubber boots. We’re carrying our own clothes, but all our
food goes up on the back of mules – one animal for every 5 hikers. After around 4 hours and
8 kilometers of uphill hiking, we reach our simple camp station. It was a pretty managable start to the trek. There were some steep hills,
everyone’s shoes got muddy, but in general it was pretty easy going. But we’ve been told to prepare for an arduous
hike of around 9 hours the next day. To power us along, our cooks prepare our meal
of fried fish – vegan options available. No one goes hungry on these hikes. And our mosquito-netted bunk beds
are more comfy than you might expect. Before the sun crests the hills,
we’re up ready, motivated by a promise from our guide Pablo. The mud has mostly firmed up. Now the path crosses streams and rivers as
we progress ever upwards. Today’s hike is as much
about culture as nature. As he walks, Pablo works on his demburu,
also known as a poporo. He chews coca leaf, mixes saliva with crushed
seashells, and pastes it around a gourd. These bulbs can grow
to weigh several kilograms. And they’re sacred to the indigenous men
of the Sierra Nevada. The tribes here – including Wiwa and Kogi –
are the descendants of the Tayrona people who once lived in the Lost City. They maintain their traditions
as they have for centuries. This Wiwa village of mud huts with thatched
palm roofs is only occupied for several days a month for ceremonies
and community meetings. Most of the time, Wiwa families live in
isolated huts in the hills. The children seem delighted
by gifts of chocolate. But in general it feels as if we’re intruding
on a people who’d rather not be bothered by us. Our guides make good on their promise. At midday we reach the waterfall. This waterfall is so powerful,
it’s creating its own wind. And Pablo says it’s not even
running yet at full force. Enough relaxation. The hardest part of the hike is just ahead. Tough as it is, this is the easy way
to the Lost City. Bounty hunters spent years hacking their way
through the tropical rainforest, searching for gold in the 1970s. Deadly fighting broke out between them
as they looted the city’s artefacts. The robbers were followed by archeologists,
who convinced the Colombian government to protect the site and its treasure. And today, instead of gold, it’s these priceless
panoramas that draw us here. Take a look at that view. This is why people come on this hike. It’s not just to see the Lost City at the end. But it’s the incredible nature of the
Sierra Nevada mountains along the way. The challenging trail takes its toll. Some hikers pay to ride mules due to exhaustion
or injury – though it hardly seems comfortable. But our group manages to make it on foot. One by one we arrive at the simple camp where we’ll spend the night
before ascending to the Lost City. After 2 days of hiking, the final stage
of the trek is a breeze. A cable carriage draws us closer to
the Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City, or as the indigenous call it, Teyuna. What a way to travel! And a few moments later, we reach the base
of a stone staircase of more than 1000 steps. Here they are, the steps
to the Ciudad Perdida. Today they’re relatively clear,
and you can access them easily. But you can only imagine what it was like,
when those first explorers started coming here in the 1970s seeking treasure,
what they would have found. The steps would have been overgrown
with jungle, barely visible. They would have had to cut their way
through dense foliage. Imagine what they would have been thinking
as they ascended these steps, wondering what treasures would lie at the top. What they found were the remains of a city
that archeologists say was probably settled by the Tayrona people around 1,500 years ago. At least 2,000 people once lived here in huts
atop these circular foundations. They buried their dead below,
along with their gold. Only a portion of the buildings
have been uncovered. These remaining stone structures
may be up to 900 years old – several centuries older than Macchu Pichu. The city was abandoned after
the Spanish conquistadors established their colonies
on the coasts nearby. But as Pablo tells, us it was never
completely forgotten. And they continue to come each September, when the city is closed to hold ceremonies. We pay our respects to the local mamo,
or shaman, who sells us beaded bracelets for health and protection –
which we hopefully won’t need. Only a few years ago this spectacular site
was constantly guarded by the Colombian military. Because in 2003, leftist rebels kidnapped
a group of tourists here, and held them hostage
for more than 100 days. But the soldiers have now left,
the site is no longer considered dangerous. Instead it’s a place of celebration. And for others, it inspires
deep contemplation. So rich in recent and ancient history,
this place allows us to stop and reflect in relative isolation. Only 200 people a day are allowed to enter
here, which is why it’s so well preserved. It’s also why it’s not so well known as other
locations like Macchu Pichu. But for those who come here, it’s an incredible
experience, to wander around, and to contemplate what happened
to the people who lived here. Luckily one of our group members is a Colombian
anthropologist, who says there’s no clear explanation for why Teyuna was largely
deserted more than 400 years ago. The descendants of the Tayrona people
have survived through a simple existence connected to nature – a lesson for our
modern civilisation facing multiple crises. Few leave the city feeling
unchanged or unchallenged. Our visit to Teyuna is over,
but our hike is not. Amazingly, there’s still more to see, as we
walk the same path in the other direction. There’s more to learn about the Wiwa culture. How they strip plants for fibres, which the
women weave into bags, and how the men spend their nights sharing stories and working on
their sacred demburu objects. These communities have fought hard to resist
many modern intrusion, and protect the Lost City from being overrun by mass tourism. Though on our hike the next day, we pass new
tourist camps under construction. As we set off for our final day of hiking,
I’m feeling pretty proud of the physical achievement. Until I meet these guides,
who tell me they can make the same trip there and back
in just one day. So I take his advice, paying more attention
to the birds and the butterflies. The animals which observe
or ignore our passage. And even as our journey nears its end,
despite all the eye-popping places we’ve seen, it seems this path has saved some of its most
beautiful sights for the finale. Back where we started, in the village of
El Mamay or Machete, we gather for a final drink
to celebrate our experiences. Four days, marching up
and down muddy mountains, more than the distance of a marathon. And it has been worth every
slippery step of the way. The problem with adventures like this is
that they’re slightly addictive. I now want to keep searching for
more epic hikes to remote locations and make sure my boots
don’t stay clean for long.

Discover Teyuna! It’s older than Machu Picchu and not quite as famous. Known in Spanish as Ciudad Perdida or the “Lost City,” it is located deep in the jungles of northern Colombia. You need weather-proof clothing and sturdy shoes for the four-day trek to the archeological site. Our reporter Joel Dullroy is making the adventurous journey to the Lost City. Join him on his trip!

Background: The ruins of Teyuna were once settled by the indigenous Tairona people. Their descendants still live today in the Wika and Kogi tribes in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

CREDITS:
Report, Camera & Editing: Joel Dullroy
Drone Footage: Metan Levanon
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