10 Best Multi-Day Treks In The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

While Santa Marta is best known as a world class beach destination, it’s also home to the world’s tallest coastal mountain range and the best trekking in Colombia.

Give the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta few days and it might shift your perspective on things. Walk between jungle camps, wake up in mountain forest or spend a night by the coast after the day visitors leave to get the full experience.

The Lost City trek gets most of the attention, but there are several other ways to spend a few days on foot here. Some focus on archaeology, some on mountain views, and others on time with Indigenous hosts who welcome visitors by arrangement.

This guide covers ten multi-day itineraries from Santa Marta. Most are treks with overnight stops; El Dorado is a lodge-based hiking stay, and Paso del Mango combines a main walking day with an overnight and local exploring. You’ll also find the best Tayrona National Park hiking routes.

Choose Your Multi-Day Trekking Adventure

Trip	Duration	What to expect
1. Ciudad Perdida	Usually 4 days	Guided jungle trek between camps
2. Bunkuany	2–3 days	Archaeological sites and arranged farm or community stays
3. Cerro Kennedy	2 days	Mountain overnight and sunrise hike
4. La Tagua, Kennedy and Panku	3 days	Guided mountain and waterfall itinerary
5. Cabo San Juan	2 days	Beach hike with an authorised campsite stay
6. Calabazo–Playa Brava–Cabo San Juan	3 days	A longer Tayrona traverse
7. Minca to Paso del Mango	2 days	One main trekking day, overnight and local walks
8. El Dorado Reserve	2–3 nights	Lodge-based forest walks and birdwatching
9. Uldezhaxa Kogi Community	2 days	Guided approach and hosted community overnight
10. Gotsezhy Wiwa Refuge	2 days	Indigenous-guided trek and refuge stay

The Top 10 Santa Marta Treks

1. Ciudad Perdida: The Lost City Trek

The Lost City trek is the big adventure most people come here for. Several days of jungle walking lead to Teyuna’s stone terraces, reached by a steep final staircase through the forest.

The effort comes from repeated climbs, humidity and consecutive days on your feet. Book through an authorised operator. An Indigenous-led departure is worth considering if learning about the territory is a priority.

Typical plan: walk to the first camp on day one; continue deeper into the mountains on day two; visit Teyuna and begin returning on day three; walk out on day four. On some treks, you can add an extra 5th day for relaxing in the upper villages.

• Duration: usually 4 days, with longer versions available.
• Difficulty: demanding.
• Style: guided trek between camps.
• Start: road transfer from Santa Marta to El Mamey, also called Machete Pelao.
• Book This Trek: 4-Day Ciudad Perdida

2. Bunkuany Archaeological Trek

Bunkuany combines archaeological terraces, rural trails and, on some departures, a hosted Kogi community visit. It deserves consideration in its own right, especially if you want a shorter trip than Ciudad Perdida.

Don’t assume shorter means easy. Published itineraries include substantial walking days, and operators don’t all follow the same route.

Three-day outline: walk through the foothills and visit the Donama petroglyphs; continue to Bunkuany and an arranged community stay; walk out on the final day.

Confirm that your specific departure includes the community overnight. A terrace visit, a village visit and sleeping in a village are three different things.

• Duration: 2–3 days; choose three for the fuller itinerary.
• Difficulty: moderate to demanding.
• Style: guided trek with farm and community accommodation.
• Start: operator-arranged transfer toward Agua Viva and the Calabazo foothills.
• Book This Trek: 3-Day Bunkuany Archaeological Trek

3. Cerro Kennedy Sunrise Overnight

Cerro Kennedy is the trip I’d consider for mountain views. In clear conditions, the higher viewpoints look toward the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

The advertised mountain elevation is around 3,100 metres, but your actual walking route and highest accessible viewpoint depend on the itinerary. Ask exactly where the vehicle stops. A trip with several hours of driving is very different from walking uphill all day from Minca.

Two-day outline: climb or transfer into the higher forest, walk to your accommodation, then make an early start for the viewpoint before descending.

Book the overnight stop in advance and bring warm layers, rain protection and a headlamp. Your beach clothes will have strong opinions about the temperature up here.

• Duration: 2 days.
• Difficulty: moderate to demanding, depending on transfers.
• Style: mountain overnight with a sunrise hike.
• Start: Minca or a higher road-access point.
• Book This Trek: 2-Day Cerro Kennedy Trek

4. La Tagua, Cerro Kennedy and Panku Waterfall

This is a longer alternative to the standard Kennedy overnight. It adds time in the foothills and a waterfall visit to the mountain viewpoint experience.

A published three-day itinerary links La Tagua, Cerro Kennedy and Panku waterfall. Treat it as an arranged trip, with the guide confirming current access and the accommodation for each night.

Three-day outline: approach through La Tagua on day one; visit the Kennedy viewpoint on day two; walk to Panku on day three before returning.

I’d choose this version if you have the extra day and want more variety than a quick ascent and descent. Ask how the walking is distributed and whether any community permissions apply to your departure.

• Duration: 3 days.
• Difficulty: moderate to demanding.
• Style: guided mountain itinerary.
• Start: La Tagua, reached via Minca.

5. Cabo San Juan Overnight, Tayrona

Cabo San Juan can be visited in a day, but staying overnight gives you more time to enjoy the coast without watching the clock all afternoon.

Two-day outline: enter through El Zaino, walk via Arrecifes and La Piscina to Cabo San Juan, then spend the night in booked accommodation. Walk out the following day after a slower morning.

Allow roughly 2–3 hours each way from the Cañaveral trailhead, with extra time for breaks. Walking the entrance road instead of using transport adds more.

Confirm your sleeping arrangements before arrival. Swim only where permitted and follow local flags and instructions. Beautiful water can still have dangerous currents.

• Duration: 2 days.
• Difficulty: moderate in the heat.
• Style: hike in, sleep at an authorised campsite, hike out.
• Start: El Zaino entrance and the Cañaveral trailhead.
• Book This Trek: 2-Day Tayrona National Park and Cabo San Juan Trek

6. Calabazo, Playa Brava and Cabo San Juan Traverse

This is the Tayrona option for people who want more walking and a quieter first night. You enter through the hills, stay at Playa Brava, then continue toward the better-known eastern beaches.

Three-day outline: hike from Calabazo to Playa Brava on day one; continue to Cabo San Juan on day two; exit through the Arrecifes–Cañaveral corridor on day three.

The Playa Brava lodge describes a roughly 3–4-hour approach from Calabazo. Confirm the onward trail with the lodge and park staff, and book both nights before leaving.

Use the authorised route around Pueblito. The archaeological site is closed to tourist visits. Playa Brava is a place to enjoy the shoreline, not to assume you can swim in the sea.

• Duration: 3 days is a sensible pace.
• Difficulty: demanding in heat and humidity.
• Style: point-to-point trek with two overnight stops.
• Start: Calabazo; finish at El Zaino.
• Book This Trek: Ask about a 3-Day Tayrona Traverse

7. Minca to Paso del Mango

This route connects two foothill destinations that most people visit separately. The old farm and mule paths make it an appealing option if you’d rather walk to your next place to stay.

Two-day outline: hike from Minca to Paso del Mango, allowing approximately 4–6 hours or more depending on conditions and route. Sleep near Paso del Mango, then explore locally before returning by road through Bonda.

The connecting trail has been described as poorly maintained in places. Arrange current directions or a guide through your accommodation, and confirm that the land access is open.

This is not two full days of trekking unless you add another substantial walk. I’d happily use the second morning for a river swim and a slow breakfast.

• Duration: 2 days.
• Difficulty: moderate to demanding.
• Style: one main trekking day, a lodge overnight and local walks.
• Start: Minca; road return via Bonda.
• Book This Trek: Ask about a 2-Day Minca to Paso del Mango Trek

8. El Dorado Reserve Forest and Birding Stay

El Dorado is for people who are happy to walk slowly because something interesting is happening in a tree.

The ProAves reserve protects mountain forest and habitat for species including the Santa Marta parakeet. Stay at the reserve and arrange walks with its staff rather than treating its trails as public shortcuts.

Suggested plan: arrive and settle in, spend a full day exploring the approved trails with a birding guide, then fit in another early walk before departure.

This is a forest stay, not a continuous backpacking route. Confirm transport, meals and guiding separately because they may not be included in the room rate.

• Duration: 2–3 nights recommended.
• Difficulty: flexible, depending on walks.
• Style: lodge-based hiking and birdwatching.
• Start: arranged transport from Minca or Santa Marta.
• Book This Trek: 5-Day Minca and El Dorado Birdwatching Retreat (A longer guided that can be customized from 2-5 days)

9. Uldezhaxa Kogi Community Trek from Trompito

If you want to learn about Kogi life, choose a visit that has been arranged with the community. Walking into an unfamiliar village with a camera is not the same thing as being invited.

A published two-day itinerary includes a roughly 3–4-hour approach to Uldezhaxa, an overnight in a hammock, and time learning about crafts and daily life. The return day includes a walk toward Pozo del Amor.

Two-day outline: walk in and meet your hosts; stay overnight; spend the next morning with the community before walking out.

Confirm the community’s agreement, guide arrangements and whether English translation costs extra. Ask before taking photographs, and let your hosts decide what they want to share.

• Duration: 2 days.
• Difficulty: moderate, with several hours of walking each day.
• Style: guided trek and hosted community overnight.
• Start: El Trompito Bajo after a transfer from Santa Marta.
• Book This Trek: Ask about a 2-Day Uldezhaxa Kogi Community Trek

10. Gotsezhy Wiwa Refuge Trek

Gotsezhy offers another way to experience the Sierra Nevada through the people who live there. It is a Wiwa experience, which is an important distinction from the Kogi visit above.

Wiwa Tour offers an overnight itinerary with an Indigenous guide, accommodation, meals and a visit to Matuna waterfall. There is also time for learning about Wiwa crafts and the community’s relationship with the territory.

Two-day outline: travel to the starting point and walk to the refuge; stay overnight; continue the arranged activities and walk out the following day.

I’d consider this if you want conversation and time with your hosts as much as physical challenge. Leave room for the day to unfold without expecting a ceremony or access to every part of community life.

• Duration: 2 days.
• Difficulty: moderate; confirm the walking stages.
• Style: Indigenous-guided trek and refuge stay.
• Start: arranged transfer from Santa Marta toward the Guachaca area.
• Book This Trek: Ask about a 2-Day Gotsezhy Wiwa Refuge Trek

Planning Your Santa Marta Trek

Compare the actual itinerary

Before booking, ask where the walking starts, how long the hardest day is and what transport is included. This matters particularly at Cerro Kennedy, where different drop-off points can turn the same named trip into very different walks.

Confirm accommodation, meals, drinking-water arrangements, translation, entrance fees and community contributions. For hosted village stays, check that the specific community overnight is included in your departure.

Check closures before arranging transport

Tayrona’s published annual rest periods are February 1–15, June 1–15 and October 19–November 2. Check the official park page and recent notices for your travel dates. Entry hours and temporary restrictions can change.

Ciudad Perdida has separate access arrangements and closure dates. Confirm those with your authorised operator rather than assuming Tayrona’s calendar applies.

Carry less and prepare for the conditions

Leave your main luggage somewhere secure and carry only what you need. Bring shoes with grip, a rain layer, sun protection, repellent, a headlamp and a dry change of clothes. Add warm layers for the higher mountain nights.

Ask your operator about water refills and sleeping equipment before packing. A smaller backpack makes every uphill conversation with yourself considerably more pleasant.

Travel on your hosts’ terms

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is home to living communities. Arrange visits through hosts or operators with community approval, pay agreed access fees and ask before photographing people or entering buildings.

Some places are not open to visitors. A trail on a map or a photo on social media does not change that.

Choose a pace you’ll enjoy

A good trek leaves time to notice where you are. If a trip sounds rushed for your fitness or interests, choose a longer itinerary or a shorter route.

For adventures that get you back the same evening, the companion day-hiking guide covers 10 routes around Santa Marta, Minca and Tayrona.