16 FIND COLOMBIA’S LOST CITY

It may not reach the same altitudes as its Peruvian rival, Machu Picchu, but the five-day Ciudad Perdida trek is just as challenging. Rain can make trails muddy and energise the humid jungle’s mosquitos, too. But, as the route doesn’t attract anywhere near the number of hikers that Machu Pichu does, expect rewardingly quiet moments of reflection once inside the ruins themselves. Archaeological work is ongoing at Ciudad Perdida — built around 650 years before Machu Pichu — and has already uncovered 169 terraces carved into the mountainside, all accessed via 1,200 stone steps. And, having made it all the way to the 1,200-year-old ruins, hikers return the same route, traversing mountain and rivers back to Santa Marta. gadventures.com JL