Ciudad Perdida, Colombia
A “Lost City” of Unique Architectural Form
Ciudad Perdida, the largest and most impressive of the area's 26 known ancient settlements.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve, is a triangle-shaped mountainous massif comprising 12,000 square miles that rises from the Colombian coastline to an altitude of approximately 19,000 feet within 30 miles of the Caribbean, making it one of the highest and most ecologically diverse coastal mountains in the world. From A.D. 200 and until A.D. 1600-1650, the northern portion of the massif was inhabited by a number of autonomous polities of varying size and political power known collectively as the Tayrona. Archaeological research since the early 1920s has shown that during this time period the Tayrona built over 250 stone masonry towns spread out through a 2000 square mile area.
Ciudad Perdida, which means “Lost City”, was accidentally discovered in 1975 by “guaqueros” or looters, the people responsible for the destruction of many archaeological sites throughout the Sierra Nevada and Colombia as they search for pre-Columbian objects. In 1976, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History-ICANH assumed control of the site and has cared for it since then, handling all research and conservation activities. After 30 years of research at the Park, archaeologists have located more than two hundred structures covering an area of approximately thirty hectares (80 acres). The structures include dwellings of various sizes, terraces, stone-lined paths and staircases, plazas, ceremonial and feasting areas, canals, and storehouses. Outside these thirty hectares, and still covered by forest, more structures can be found awaiting further archaeological research.
Although the upper section of the Buritaca river is currently uninhabited, five hundred years ago Ciudad Perdida was surrounded by settlements. Ciudad Perdida was one of the more than two hundred and fifty towns inhabited by the Tayrona up until the end of the 16th century. In comparison to the other twenty six settlements found in the upper section of the Buritaca river basin, it appears to be the largest and most impressive of them all, which is why it is believed to be the center of political, social, and economic power in this specific part of the Sierra Nevada. Nevertheless, we are only beginning to understand Ciudad Perdida’s complex history and the changes it underwent throughout time.
Ciudad Perdida is reached through a 20 kilometer trail that winds upriver from the small town of El Mamey.
