Four Seasons Invites Guests to Meet Colombia’s Guardians of the Earth as Part of a New Extraordinary Experience

One of the world’s most spectacular mountain ranges sits on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, boasting contrasting scenery from snowy peaks to tropical jungles.

As well as its beauty, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is home to an ancient culture and traditions. Its “Lost City” is thought to have been founded around 800 AD, some 650 years earlier than Peru’s Machu Picchu.

The area is home to thousands of indigenous people who preserve their way of life by living in isolated mountain communities. Hidden in one of the emerald forests is the Mulkuakungui village, home to the Kogi tribe, where cultural traditions have been passed down for centuries.

In a new Extraordinary Experience from Four Seasons Hotel Bogota and Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina, guests are flown into the heart of the Sierra Nevada for an unforgettable day trip in the historic mountaintops.

The tour is currently the only luxury travel of its kind for tourists to visit the area, and the one-of-a-kind itinerary includes high-quality private transportation and enriching cultural experiences.

The excursion begins in the morning at Four Seasons Hotel Bogota at Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina, when guests are chauffeured to a private hangar at Bogota’s El Dorado airport. Travellers are then whisked away on a luxurious private jet to Santa Marta, which is a 45 minute plane journey.

A helicopter will be awaiting guests upon arrival in Santa Marta for the first glimpse of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada range. The 45-minute chopper ride will fly over the “Lost City” and over the deep jungle landscapes in one of the most diverse areas on the planet. In 2013 the area was named as the world’s most irreplaceable nature reserve.

The helicopter will make a stop in the remote Mulkuakungui village, where guests will be welcomed to the traditional mud-thatched houses of the indigenous Kogi community. An hour will be spent in the village as the local community will teach visitors their customs, rituals and lifestyle. The group will also receive a handwoven backpack and a welcome drink at the village.

The Kogi consider themselves to be the guardians of the earth, living in harmony with their environment in a stunning region they name “the heart of the world.” A bilingual tour guide will join guests and help translate between visitors and locals and will also be there to give guests detailed information about every area of the tour.

After the traditional experience guests will be taken on another helicopter tour over the blissful Tayrona National Natural Park, home to a number of Caribbean beaches and thick tropical forests. The trip will also fly over the Don Diego River into the Caribbean Sea and above the glistening waters of Cinto Bay.

Following the end of the second helicopter tour, travellers will be dropped at the Mirador de la Reserva Natural, where they have four hours to explore the dramatic landscape and walk in the tropical forests which boast panoramic views and abundant nature.

From the reserve, guests will return in to Bogota by private jet, and then back to Four Seasons Hotel Bogota or Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina.

The price of the exclusive tour is dependent on a maximum of five guests for the price of USD 16,830, or USD 3,366 per person. If guests travelling in a smaller group wish to go on the excursion privately this can be arranged at additional cost, with the help of the team at Four Seasons.