Colombia’s Lost City

The Lost City  ranks among South America’s most magical spots.  Built by the Tayrona Indians on the northern slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the lost city is perched in a 1300m high slope and it’s thought to be the Tayrona’s biggest city and their major political and economical center.

The city wasn’t discovered till 1975.  It’s completely surrounded by jungle.

Most people use Santa Marta, a town 40km south east of the Lost City as their base.  And from there start the trek to the Lost City.  The return trip takes six days.

You cannot do this trip on your own or hire an independent guide. This can be a dangerous area and tourists have been kidnapped .So the only safe way to do the trek to the Lost City is through a tour company.

Some 2000 to 4000 people lived here..The site consists of more than a thousand circular terraces only ten percent of which have been uncovered . These once served as foundations for Tayrona homes.

During the conquest, the Spaniards wiped out the Tayronas, and their settlements disappeared without a trace under the lush vegetation. A  complex network of paved footpaths and steep, stone steps – over 1350 if you are counting – purportedly added later to obstruct the advance of Spanish horsemen.

Archeological digs have uncovered Tayrona objects – pottery, goldwork, and necklaces made with semiprecious stones….