The Lost City Trek in Colombia is in many ways a textbook example of how income from tourism can make a big difference to vulnerable communities in the middle of the Colombian jungle, while at the same time actively working together with the local community to preserve a unique archaeological area.

Hidden away in Colombia is one of the most exciting pre-Columbian ruins in Latin America, the impressive complex Ciudad Perdida, perhaps better known as the Lost City.

The Lost City was built by the Tayrona people in around 800 AD, and it is thought to have been abandoned at around the same time that the Spanish colonists arrived in Colombia. For many hundreds of years, the city remained forgotten and hidden by the jungle, until it was rediscovered in 1972 by a group of treasure hunters. Treasures from the lost city turned up in markets around the country, and archaeologists from the Colombian Institute of Anthropology set out to discover where the treasures might have come from – and found the Lost City. Since then, Ciudad Perdida/Lost City has consulted with the Archaeological Institute to ensure the restoration and preservation of the site.

The area was for a number of years affected by the fighting between the Colombian army and right-wing paramilitary groups but has been a safe place to travel to since 2005, and the tourists have returned.

Since 2009, the NGO Global Heritage Fund has worked closely with the Colombian government and the local communities around the Lost City to preserve the area and ensure, among other things, that income from tourism goes back to the local community. They advise and educate local tribal people on the best way to preserve the area for posterity. This means that you cannot visit the Lost City today without a guide. All guides belong to one of the local tribes, and the places where you spend the night on the trek are owned and run by the various tribes in the area.

The income from your visit thus goes back to the local community, providing benefits in the form of jobs, schools, health care, etc.

The tour here requires you to be in good shape and to have an inner Indiana Jones. It is a small expedition on foot through the dense jungle of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Rivers have to be crossed and you’ll be trekking in high temperatures in high humidity. The trek is around 50 km long and takes 4 days, and you’ll stay in primitive camps run by the local people along the way.

The last stretch of the way into the Lost city is via a steep staircase with 1,200 steps of all different shapes and sizes. The climb is hard, but when you reach the top, you can give yourself a pat on the back and be enthralled by the impressive sight that greets you. This 35-hectare area is made up of a complex system of buildings, roads, and stairways, connected by more than 150 terraces, squares and stone roads, scattered up and down the mountainsides. From the top, you’ll enjoy great views over the dense jungle and the impressive ruins complex.

Your guide will give you an exciting insight into the Lost City’s history, and you will also have time on your own to explore this magical place in the heart of Sierra Nevada’s jungle.

There’s only one way into the Lost City and one way out of the Lost City and that’s on foot through the dense, humid jungle, so this trek is not for everyone, but we promise that the hard work will give you the experience of a lifetime.