Travel insights from Latin America
The 7 Biggest Mistakes Travelers Make When Planning a Lost City trek
When trekking to Colombia’s ancient Lost City, you’ll want to do it right.
That means booking at the right time, not underestimating the weather and choosing a native guide to lead your journey. Here are seven mistakes to avoid when planning your first trek to this majestic Lost City.
Book a Lost City trip with Kagumu Adventures by contacting us.
Mistake #1: Thinking you can do the Lost City trek solo
Firstly, you are not allowed.
There are only a certain number of tour agencies permitted to operate the Lost City trek. This ensures the number of travelers who enter is controlled and the income generated from the trek is spread to farmers and indigenous communities along the trail.
Most tour operators offer 3, 4, or 5-day treks; you can either trek as a private group or join other people on daily departures.
All excursions start from Santa Marta’s city center or you can organize the company to pick you up at nearby Rodadero or maybe Tayrona Park for an extra cost. If you are a solo traveler you will join other trekkers in a group of 6-12 people.
You’ll have a lead guide, translator (if needed) and maybe an extra helper. Two cooks, local to the area, will keep you fed with delicious and diverse meals.
Mistake #2 Packing like a rookie
This is key! You will be carrying your backpack for four days and will need to make use of its space. After 6 hours of wading through waist-high rivers, walking up mountain sides, and brushing your way through jungle foliage your bag will seem like a ton of bricks. So pack light, pack smart. Below is our expert Lost City trek packing list and just for you we have a couple of tips!
Sneakers or boots and sandals or flip-flops
T-Shirts – (fast drying if possible)
Shorts
Hoodies or sweatshirt for the night
Long trousers for the nights
Bathing suit
Towel – microfiber is the best option
Socks (long ones to protect against bites)
Product against insects
Personal hygiene Items
Flashlight
Water bottle 1-1.5L
Personal medicine
Camera
Waterproof or plastic bags for rain
Hiking poles (recommended)
Tip 1: ask your guide which campsites you will be staying in. You can always leave some clothes in one camp and pick them up on the way back.
Tip 2: don’t waste your time with a heavy raincoat. The Lost City trek is an adventure and you will get wet. There is little you can do about this. In our opinion, having a big heavy raincoat is just going to add unnecessary weight to your bag. Either pack a lightweight poncho or just get wet.
Tip 3: you will be able to leave your big suitcase in a secure location at the start of the trek to recollect at the end.
Mistake #3 Trekking the Lost City at the wrong time of year
Now, weather patterns have changed so rainy and dry seasons are not as defined as before. However, if you want to avoid huge downpours then avoid the Lost City trek from July to late October.
The best time to enjoy the trek is from December to early March. Be warned, however; hotter weather brings other challenges. Ticks, who just love to stick to you, are more prominent and of course, it’s hotter. You’ll sweat more. You’ll have days of Caribbean baking sun.
Oh yeah, and don’t plan to go in September – the site is closed for cleaning.
Mistake #4 Not trekking with a native guide
The beauty of this adventure is the trek itself. It’s a journey of intrigue, stories, and cultural exchanges. Those cultures originate from the four native communities still living in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. These are the Wiwa, Arhuaco, Kogi, and Kankuamo.
The key to learning firsthand about these remarkable communities is enjoying the Lost City trek with a trained native guide.
You will learn about their cultures, their deep connections to Madre Tierra – mother earth, their sacred garments, unique perspectives on life, and fascinating traditions that haven’t changed since 700 AD.
Kagumu runs trips with our native guide Gabo from the Wiwa community. Earlier this year, one of our travelers, Natasha from the UK, noted how this added to her experience:
Lost City trek review: “Our native guide Gabo was amazing. I felt very privileged to have him as part of our trip. I certainly learnt so much more than I felt other groups would have. He seems quite a celebrity!
Mistake #5 Underestimating the weather
This is the biggest challenge.
Despite people’s initial belief, the Lost City trek’s elevation – the site itself is 1,200 meters above sea level and the highest point – is not the biggest hurdle to overcome. It’s the unpredictable climate.
Days can be incredibly hot, humid, close, stuffy – all of those things that make you sweat relentlessly. Rain can be ferocious and can churn the terracotta-colored terrain into sloppy clay that sucks your boots to the ground. When the rain comes, rivers rise and can become impassable so you’ll traverse the gushing waters in a rickety cable car.
Nights get cold and without the long-sleeved top and bottoms (packing list above) you can feel the chill in your hammock or bed at night.
Mistake #6 Not taking enough cash
Though camps have improved over the past few years. We even have Wi-Fi in some camps! There is still no way to buy food, drink, or souvenirs without cash. When you purchase a Lost City trek package, you will have everything included – tour guide, food, drink, entrance to the site and snacks.
However, you will want to take some Colombian pesos to buy extra snacks, maybe a beer at the end of a long day trekking or hand-made gifts to take home.
Insider tip: use the ATMs in Santa Marta to take cash out. Use Davivienda Bank as they offer the lowest transaction charges. There’s an ATM or cajero next to Parque Bolívar and in the airport.
Extra tip: when the bank machine asks if you want the currency conversion say NO, this will ensure a better rate!
Mistake #7 Not doing (at least) a bit of research ahead of time
Having a grasp of the destination you will visit and a basic understanding of the native communities and Colombia will stand you in good stead. We recommend any good travel guides like Lonely Planet or researching the Lost City trek on Reddit.
There are also some good short documentaries online including:
Exploring Ciudad Perdida, Lost Cities With Albert Lin – YouTube link here.
Aluna, An Ecological Warning by the Kogi People – YouTube link here.
It’s also worth looking into the Lost City trek difficulty and facts about the adventure. If you are keen to learn more, you can read a recent blog written by our lead guide, Marco Pollone.
A few nuggets of information to help you seem like a expert:
Fact 1: The Lost City is not called the Lost City to locals. The real name of the archaeological site is Teyuna.
Fact 2: “Thank you” in Arhuaco (a local native language) is Duni.
Fact 3: The instrument all male native guides use is called a poporo, and is a sign of manhood.
Fact 4: The site was rediscovered in 1972 by graverobbers.
Fact 5: The Lost City trek takes place in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta – the highest coastal mountain range in the world.