How does Southamerica planet work?

In our programs, you  travel completely independently without a tour guide. Southamerica planet takes on the task of booking and paying for all hotels / transport / and tours in advance. For all excursions there is an English speaking guide who will explain you to the places visited. At the airport / for an easy start / there is someone with a name sign with your name and takes you to your first hotel. You will receive vouchers for all hotels by email.

Our prices are without international flight / we  also can purchase at good rates, or you can arrange those yourself. You just provide us with your flight number and planned arrival and departure time, so we know when to send someone to meet you at the airport.

NOTE / this trek cannot be booked separately, but always as a start package or round trip

Including:

• Shared tour
• Accommodation in simple huts or hammocks
• All three daily meals and snacks
• Private transfers as stated Shared transport
• Spanish speaking guide & English speaking translator
• Entrance fees to Ciudad Perdida
• 24/7 assistance

Exclusive:

• International flights Travel insurance
• Food and drinks not listed as included
• Personal travel insurance
• Voluntary gratuities for guides, drivers, etc.
• Other personal expenses

Ciudad Perdida

Deep down in the jungle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at an altitude of 1200 meters, lies the Ciudad Perdida (or Lost City). And that is just as exciting as it sounds. The city was built by the Tayrona indigenous people in the Sierra Nevada around the year 650. That’s 650 years earlier than the much better-known Machu Picchu in Peru. Archeologists believe that the city was inhabited by thousand of people at its peak. With the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, the city fell into oblivion, only to be rediscovered as recently as the seventies. Ciudad Perdida, or Teyuna as the native descendants of the Tayrona call it, can still only be reached on foot. It takes a spectacular four-day hike through the jungle, culminating with the climb of the no less than 1200 steps up to the old city. Although a large part of the city is still to be dug out, the hundreds of round, paved terraces and stairs on the steep mountains project a fairly good idea of what Teyuna once was. The hike to the Ciudad Perdida is considerably heavy, but at the same time, it is also one of the most unforgettable experiences of your journey through Colombia. The walks lead through dense jungle, past

waterfalls, through rivers and there will be considerable climbs or descents. But the mystical sight of Ciudad Perdida and the view over the ruins and mountains when you reach the top, will stay with you for a very long time.

Day 1

Start of the trek to Ciudad Perdida. You will be picked up at the hotel in Santa Marta between 8:00-8:30 am. First, you will make a short stop at the organization’s office to leave your remaining luggage and meet the rest of the group. From there, it is a 2-to-2.5-hour drive to La Aguacatera, where you will briefly stop to buy drinks and snacks. From there it is another 40-minute drive to El Mamey, where you will have lunch and start the trek. From El Mamey it’s approximately 4 hours to Alfredo’s or Adán’s cabin, starting with an hour’s climb to an altitude of approximately 600 meters, after which you will descend again. During the hike, fresh fruit will be supplied. The total distance is approximately 6 km.

Accommodation: Camp Adán or Alfredo. You will sleep in a hammock or a bunk bed with a mosquito net.

Day 2

Second day of the trek to Ciudad Perdida. Your day will start with breakfast early in the morning. At around 6 you will leave the camp. You will walk for approximately 3 hours to reach the next camp, the Wiwa camp, once there you will leave your “hand luggage”, change your clothes and walk about 30 minutes to reach a waterfall 30 meters high. After enjoying a bath you will return to the Wiwa camp for lunch. After lunch, you will depart for a walk that will last approximately 4 hours to reach Teyuna camp where the night will be spent. On the way you will pass the indigenous village Mutanyi where you will have the opportunity to appreciate the Kogui architecture and later you will cross the Buritaca river. The total route for today will be approximately 8 hours of walking. On the way you will eat fresh fruit. Accommodation: Teyuna Paradise camp in hammock or cabin with mosquito net.

Day 3

Third day of trek to Ciudad Perdida. After breakfast, you will leave your luggage at the camp and only carry your camera. Embark on a hike of approx. 20 minutes in which you will cross the Buritaca river, and once on the other side of the river you will start to climb the 1200 stairs that lead to the first terraces of the Lost City. During the approximately 3-hour tour you will receive information about this secret archaeological site built by the indigenous people of the Tayrona culture. The archaeological remains extend over more than 30 hectares, occupying the ridge and the slopes of a hill that dominates the Buritaca river from 900 to 1100 meters high. After this visit, you will return to the Paraíso Teyuna camp for lunch. After lunch, you will walk around 4 hours until you reach the Wiwa camp where you will spend the third night. There you will have the opportunity to have a cultural exchange with a member of the Kogui indigenous people.

Accommodation: Wiwa CAMP in hammock or in cabins with mosquito nets

Day 4

Fourth day of the hike. You will walk for about 6 hours until you get back to El Mamey, where you will have lunch. You will then be taken back to La Aguacatera with the rest of the group, a 40-minute drive by 4×4. Once there, you will have a private transfer back to your hotel in Santa Marta.

What to bring to Ciudad Perdida?

• Passport
• Proof of yellow fever vaccination
• Hiking backpack
• Long pants and long-sleeved shirts
• Comfortable shoes (sport shoes or boots). They will get wet and muddy and won’t dry in 4 days
• Comfortable clothes for warm weather
• Clothes that you can wear at night
• Swimsuit and towel
• Socks
• Sandals or extra shoes
• Charged batteries
• Personal (hygiene) items
• Personal medicine
• Insect-repellent and sunscreen
• Toilet paper
• Water bottle (can be refilled during the trek)
• Flashlight
• Two plastic bags to protect your belongings from getting wet
• Cash to buy drinks and snacks at the camps and during the trek ( +/- 000 COP for a bottle of water/Gatorade).

Cancel

In case of cancellation up to 4 weeks before departure, 20% of the total travel sum will be charged by SAP, unless other conditions are stated in the agreed contract. Cancellation charges from hotels / airlines or other services booked by us are subject to the terms of the cancellation policy of the hotel / airline or any other company. When these companies charge cancellation costs, these will be added to the 20% of the travel sum. In case of cancellation between 4 and 2 weeks before departure, 30% of the total travel sum will be charged by SAP, unless other conditions are stated in the agreed contract. Cancellation charges from hotels / airlines or other services booked by us are subject to the terms of the cancellation policy of the hotel / airline or any other company. When these companies charge cancellation costs, these will be added to the 20% of the travel sum. If canceled within 2 weeks before departure, no refund will be received, unless other conditions are stated in the agreed contract.

Responsible travel & sustainable tourism:

Responsible travel is very important to SAP. Not only do we aim to be environmentally friendly, but we are also committed to good and fair information provision, protecting Colombia’s cultural heritage, and treating local communities with respect, always trying to stimulate the local economy. The (sexual) abuse of children, the use, buying and / or selling of drugs is prohibited and will be reported by us to the local authorities. We try to minimize the impact of the trip on the environment by working as much as possible with sustainable hotels that have measures in place to save energy and water. In addition, it is up to the customer to deal with this in a responsible manner.