Colombia: Colombia’s Caribbean Coast and Lost City

Enjoy a tour of the colonial walled city and its defenses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On a guided tour of Cartagena, learn about the history of this vibrant city from your bilingual guide. Traveling by private vehicle, you’ll visit sites like the Clock Tower, Plaza Bolivar, and Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. Enjoy impressive views of the city from the hilltop Convento De La Popa and a city walk from the Church of San Pedro Claver to the Church of Santo Domingo. Use the free time and enjoy the beach, the city and the Caribbean flair.

Please note that warm water is rarely available in the Caribbean region of Colombia. The showers during your stay in this region are therefore likely to only have cold water.

Optional Activities:
– El Totumo Mud Volcano
Descend into El Totumo Mud Volcano. Float in the healing mud full of invigorating minerals and enjoy pure relaxation. Don’t be surprised if you look 10 years younger afterwards!

– Nocturnal Chiva journey
45000COP per person50000COP per group. Get ready for a party and city tour at the same time on the Chiva bus. These brightly colored vehicles are a national symbol, and their open sides allow you to experience lively Cartagena up close as you ride. Drink, dance and enjoy Colombian music on this fun ride.

– Visit to the Palace of the Inquisition (Museum)
30000COP per person. Visit the museum and learn more about the work of the Spanish Inquisition in Colombia. Explore this magnificent colonial and baroque style building and see the artifacts and instruments of torture on display.

– Visit to the Gold Museum
7000COP per person. In Plaza Bolivar, visit this superbly curated and informative museum. Admire the intricate gold jewelry and pottery from the pre-Columbian period of the indigenous Zenú and learn about their history and traditions. These exhibits are all located in a colonial-era house.

– Visit to the Caribbean Naval Museum
6000COP per person. In the historic old town, visit this spacious museum spread over two listed buildings. Here you will find a wide variety of exhibits on the naval history of the Caribbean and you can enjoy the day on the beautiful terraces.

– Visit to the Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno)
5000COP per person. The collection of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena is housed in two historic buildings, one of which was a former armory. Stroll through this extraordinary museum and admire 1950s Latin American paintings and contemporary Colombian art.

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 4 hours aprox.

Hiking
 3 hours aprox

Meals
B/-/-

Travel to the small town of Minca and enjoy free time to explore and enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Please note that in Minca, due to the small size of this unique hotel, we may need to use shared rooms if the group is full.

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/-

Travel to Tayrona National Park for a moderate hike with a local native guide. Experience nature on a hike in this beautiful park. Learn about Tayrona’s biodiversity and explore the beautiful landscape with a local guide. Spend the night surrounded by nature in a lodge near the park. This is the perfect opportunity to experience nature and learn more about the indigenous culture of northern Colombia. Stay in a lodge in the park.

Please note that Tayrona National Park is generally closed in February and a few other periods of the year. The Indigenous groups in the area believe that Mother Nature needs a month’s rest and the maintenance of the park is done during that time. If your trip is in February, visit Taironaka Park to learn more about the local Kogi and their cultural practices.

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/-

Spend the day at the Gotsezhi Wiwa indigenous community, where you can enjoy a supported lunch prepared by the women of the community. Learn more about Wiwa customs with a village visit. Afterwards you can relax in a hammock by the river or visit the nearby waterfalls.

Visit Gotsezhi and enjoy a lunch prepared by the women of the community using local ingredients. Visit the nearby village where children of the four indigenous peoples of the region go to school and learn their cultural ceremonies and language. As you enter the village, a soul purification ceremony will be performed and you will learn about the traditional customs, stories and craft methods of this region. Afterwards you can cool off in the river, visit the nearby waterfalls and natural pools or chill in a hammock and reflect on your experiences before heading back to Santa Marta.

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/-

In the afternoon we drive from Tayrona to Taganga. We take an orientation tour with our guide.

Activities included:
– Orientation walk in Taganga

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/-

The day is at your leisure in Taganga to explore the town on foot or snorkel to see the underwater world. In the evening we travel to Santa Marta.

Optional Activities:
– Snorkeling
80000COP per person. Grab a pair of fins and a mask and explore the active reefs in Taganga’s clear waters. Keep an eye out for the fascinating Brain Coral!

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/-

Chill out on the paradisiacal Caribbean coast in Santa Marta or explore the surrounding area. Use the day to soak up some sun or do some last-minute shopping before heading out on the big hike.

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/-

Wake up and make your way to Machete Pelao where your trek to the lost city of Teyuna begins. You’ll trek through farmland, steamy jungle, and rural Kogi communities. Enjoy and let it all sink in – this is your chance to get a glimpse of the local way of life in the remote river valleys of the Sierra Nevada.
You leave Machete Pelao and hike through the jungle along the Buritaca River. On the way to the campsite you will pass agricultural land and get a glimpse of daily life in the small communities. The first day of trekking is relatively easy and a good way to get used to the tour. There is a combination of uphill and flat sections on the way to the first campsite. Continuing uphill you will reach Ricardito Camp, also called “vista hermosa” or “beautiful view” by the locals. If the weather cooperates, don’t miss the sunrises and sunsets here.

Activities included:
– Hike to the Lost City – Day 1

Walking time: approx. 9-10 hours.
Hiking distance: approx. 14 km

Accommodation: Camping with overnight stays in a hammock or bunk

Overnight
Camping

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/D

Continue into the lush jungle en route to Ciudad Perdida. Be prepared that today’s part of the hike is very strenuous and has many steep views. In the afternoon you will reach the campsite where you can relax by the river.

Early in the morning we start our trek along the Buritaca River. You come through more farmland that is used for growing coffee or raising livestock. Climbing on this part of the trek can be challenging as the path leads uphill from the river bed through humid jungle. Take a look at the unique round huts that make up some of the Kogi villages in the area. Once you reach camp, you can cool off with a swim in the river before dinner.

Activities included:
– Hike to the Lost City – Day 2

Hiking distance: approx. 10 km

Accommodation: Camping with overnight stays in a hammock or bunk

Overnight
Camping

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/D

You wake up early, feeling refreshed and invigorated (hopefully!) and begin your trek to Paso Lorenzo Camp. Around noon, settle into the campsite and have some lunch. If the weather is nice, you can take a dip in the Buritaca River. In the afternoon, learn more about Wiwa customs and then relax in a hammock.

Activities included:
– Hike to the Lost City – Day 3

Walking time: approx. 8-9 hours.
Hiking distance: approx. 10 km

Accommodation: Camping with overnight stays in a hammock or bunk

Overnight
Camping

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/D

Today is the day to discover the wonders of La Ciudad Perdida. Climb the 1200 ancient steps and explore the various sacred sites of the lost city. Later you hike on winding paths through the deep jungle, past banana trees and cocoa plants, to Wiwa Camp.

Activities included:
– Hike to the Lost City – Day 4

Walking time: approx. 3-4 hours.
Hiking distance: approx. 7 km

Accommodation: Camping with overnight stays in a hammock or bunk

Overnight
Camping

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/D

In the morning, enjoy the last vistas of the jungle as you hike back to Machete Pelao. Transfer to Santa Marta where you can use the rest of the day to relax.

Continue the trek back to Machete Pelao, following the same route you took at the beginning. The farmland will feel familiar, but the scenery remains spectacular. Enjoy the last glimpses of the jungle and village life before setting off again.

Activities included:
– Hike to the Lost City – Day 5

Walking time: approx. 5-6 hours.
Hiking distance: approx. 14 km

Accommodation: Hotel Tayromar (or similar)

Overnight
Camping

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/D

Departure possible at any time.

Overnight
Camping

Driving
 6 hours aprox.

Hiking
 4 hours aprox

Meals
B/L/D

In the morning we can once again enjoy the old town streets of Cartagena on our own and buy souvenirs in handicraft shops.

We will then be taken to the airport and fly to Bogotá, from where we will board our flight home to Europe.

• Journey time: approx. 30 min. (minibus)

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 1 hour aprox.

Hiking
 1 hour aprox

Flight
Go back home by plane.

Meals
B/L/-

Overnight
Hotel

Driving
 1 hour aprox.

Hiking
 1 hour aprox

Flight
Go back home by plane.

Meals
B/-/-