Do you need a local guide in Colombia?
Strongly advised. For Colombia's best-known trek it is compulsory: ICANH, the national parks authority and the indigenous and peasant authorities require visits to Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida to be made with a certified guide, booked through an authorised agency. Beyond that trek, neither source makes a guide compulsory, but the Italian foreign ministry asks travellers not to travel on their own and to use official agencies instead, and advises against intercity travel by road.
Why it matters in Colombia
- Ciudad Perdida only with a certified guide — The trail to Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida is not signposted and walking it without a guide is risky, so ICANH, Parques Nacionales Naturales and the indigenous and peasant authorities require every visit to be accompanied by a certified guide, with the place booked well ahead through an authorised agency. The walk begins after one or two hours of dirt road by 4x4 from Puerto Nuevo to Machete Pelao, and usually takes two or three days to reach the site. (Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (ICANH) — Parque Arqueológico Teyuna: ¿Cómo llegar?)
- Official agencies, not independent travel — The Italian foreign ministry asks travellers not to travel independently but to use official agencies, citing the spread of organised crime, armed dissidents and paramilitary groups, and the hostility of some indigenous groups to outsiders on their land. It recommends commercial domestic flights for getting around and advises against intercity travel by road. (Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Armed groups and mines in remote regions — Independent, unorganised travel is advised against in the remote parts of the country, from the borders with Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama to the old coca-growing enclaves. Where armed groups fight, anti-personnel mines have been scattered, to the point that rural and indigenous communities are sometimes stuck in their settlements for long periods. (Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Sudden road blocks in the Sierra Nevada — Clashes between the Colombian army and the ACSN armed group in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta can block traffic without warning in the Magdalena department. In the Caribbean resorts of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta, the ministry advises maximum caution away from the busy, patrolled tourist routes. (Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
What to ask a guide before you book
- Are you a certified guide, and which authorised agency is booking my place on the Ciudad Perdida trek?
- Which parts of our route cross departments where independent travel is advised against, and how do you handle them?
- If a road block closes the roads around the Sierra Nevada, what is the fallback plan?
- Which legs would you drive, and which would you rather fly?
Local guides in Colombia
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Sources
- Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (ICANH) — Parque Arqueológico Teyuna: ¿Cómo llegar? — consulted 21 September 2026
- Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — consulted 21 September 2026, updated 29 April 2026
Before you rely on this
This page summarises official sources in good faith, on the dates shown above. We cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials on the ground, not by websites. Always read the original sources and your own government's travel advice for Colombia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide holds a licence or meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.