Ciudad Perdida - Welcome to the Jungle

The last 4 days I spent in the jungle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, without electricity, without reception, and without any luxury. But first, let me explain the headline: Ciudad translates to city and perdida lost, together it means 'Lost City'. (Perdida was one of the first Spanish words I learned. Estoy perdida means: I am lost 😊).

Ciudad Perdida is one of the largest pre-Columbian cities in the Americas, built by the Tayrona people in the middle of the jungle between the 11th and 14th centuries. After the Tayrona were almost completely wiped out by the Spaniards, the city was swallowed by the jungle. It was not until 1975 that it was rediscovered by guaqueros (looters). Only parts of the city are allowed to be visited today, the rest lies hidden in the jungle.

To reach Ciudad Perdida, you can only go on foot as part of a guided tour. A total of about 60 km through the jungle (round trip). On Monday, I set off with 13 other fellow travelers (from Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Ireland, USA, Germany, and Colombia) and our guides Yonis, Hugo, and Carlos. We were initially taken by jeep to the starting point of the hike, which took about 2 hours, and there we had a delicious lunch and received final instructions. We were lucky with the weather on the first day, it was cloudy but dry. We had to cover about 7 km, mostly uphill, to the first camp. Despite the clouds, it was incredibly hot and the high humidity made us sweat profusely from the first meters. The hike took us through the land of the local population. Here, the jungle was not yet so densely overgrown. In the past, the land was used for cannabis cultivation, but now it is mainly used as pasture. Our food was transported to the camps by mules. In our first camp, we found comfortable and clean bunk beds with mosquito nets, cold showers, a delicious dinner, and an insight into the history of the region. The next morning, we continued at 6 o'clock, covering about 15 km, mostly uphill. The sweaty clothes had not really dried overnight, but since we started sweating heavily again after a short time, it didn't matter. The vegetation slowly became denser and eventually we reached the territory of the indigenous people. After lunch at the camp and a wonderfully refreshing bath in the river, we visited a village of the Kogui people, who belong to the Tayrona. In the middle of the jungle, a few huts appeared where most of the hikers watched the soccer match between France and Belgium. But since a storm was approaching and we had to cross a river, we quickly set off again. Despite our hurry, the storm caught up with us quickly. In the pouring rain, with lightning and thunder, we picked up the pace. We had to share the paths with increasingly larger streams. Within seconds, we were all soaked from the rain, not that it bothered us, we were already soaked with sweat. Just before our camp, we had to cross another river. Since everyone was already carrying at least 1 liter of water in their shoes, we didn't bother taking off our shoes and simply waded through the water, which was almost waist-high. Upon arrival at the camp, every possible space was used to hang up all the wet clothes (not that any of it was dry the next morning). We passed the time until dinner with delicious popcorn and coffee. Unfortunately, there were no pillows in this camp. So we used the blanket as a pillow. But since it got quite cold at night, you had to make a decision: freeze or sleep without a pillow? None of us slept well that night and at 6 o'clock we were already on our way again. After about 20 minutes along the river, we finally reached Ciudad Perdida. Unfortunately, another 1200 steps separated us from the city. But the effort was really worth it. From above, you had a magnificent view of the terraces of Ciudad Perdida, surrounded by jungle and waterfalls. The descent was almost as strenuous, the Tayrona must have had very small feet, the steps were quite narrow. We then continued to the last camp, about 6 km away. Upon arrival, we all plunged into the refreshing cool river again.

On the last day, we had to return about 17 km to the starting point of the hike. Steep uphill at the beginning, downhill at the end. The descent from Ciudad Perdida did not do my right knee good. But with marijuana ointment, a massage, and a stick as support, I limped my way back for 6 hours. We all happily and completely exhausted reached our goal and were taken back to Santa Marta. I don't even want to know how bad it must have smelled in our jeep.

Conclusion: The trek was definitely one of the most exhausting things I have ever done. At times, I really wondered what I was actually doing here. Why did I spend so much money to walk in the jungle, sweating or in the rain, and sleeping in simple camps? I got some scratches and bruises, numerous mosquito bites, sore feet, and a painful knee, which is still harmless for my standards.

But in the end, it was a great experience to push myself to my limits and beyond. We were a super relaxed group and we became a small family. As is well known, the journey is the destination, and so it is here too. Ciudad Perdida is incredibly beautiful, but the real adventure was the journey there.

Actually, in the evening we were all very tired, but we met up with the guides and the whole group at the La Brisca Loca bar. I don't know where we still had the energy, but we danced and partied all night.

Now I need a vacation from my vacation. Today, I will just chill by the pool, do the laundry (urgently!!!), and plan the next few days.