Santa Marta and the Ciudad Perdida Trek

Another night bus to the coast and I found myself in the very Caribbean feeling Santa Marta. Next to the coast, this industrial town with a huge port isn’t exactly known for its beaches, though Parque Tayrona further up the coast is a bit more equipped for the idyllic beach scene.

The main reason for coming here, apart from staying in an awesome hostel with a mango tree, was to go on the Ciudad Perdida trek.

This was honestly one of the highlights of my entire journey. I love trekking, and the coastal, jungle terrain of Colombia made the perfect spot for diverse wildlife, towering jungles trees and crystal blue rivers which we got to swim in. The Ciudad itself is quite modest, with platforms of circular grassy discs rising up on the side of the mountain. Indigenous people still live there and go up and down the trails with mules.

 

The food provided by the tour was excellent too, with fruit stops every so often which hosted the best tasting pineapple I’ve had.