Colombia has spent years rebuilding its global image, and in 2026, the transformation is undeniable. A first-person travel essay by writer Dave Epstein, published May 6, 2026, is drawing fresh attention to a country that offers some of the most dramatic and varied travel experiences in the Western Hemisphere — from ancient jungle ruins to colonial coffee towns to one of South America's most dynamic cities. His account of a March 2026 trip covers four distinct regions, each compelling in its own right. If Colombia isn't already on your travel list, this piece makes the case that it should be.
The Lost City Trek: Four Days into the Sierra Nevada
The centerpiece of Epstein's journey — and the experience generating the most buzz — is the trek to La Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City, buried deep in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range along Colombia's northern Caribbean coast. This isn't a day hike to a viewpoint. It's a grueling, four-day jungle expedition that demands physical preparation, mental resilience, and a genuine appetite for discomfort.
Epstein describes the first day as a reckoning: temperatures hitting 90°F with dew points in the mid-70s, the kind of oppressive heat that makes the air feel like a wet blanket. The Sierra Nevada rises sharply from the coast, and the trail cuts through dense tropical forest where the humidity never relents. By the time trekkers reach the ruins — a sprawling pre-Columbian city built by the Tayrona civilization around 800 CE, predating Machu Picchu by several centuries — the effort has become part of the experience.
Access to La Ciudad Perdida is strictly controlled. Visitors cannot arrive independently; all treks must be organized through authorized tour companies with licensed guides. Epstein's guide was a man named Marrón, and his translator, Maria, was Venezuelan — a small detail that speaks to Colombia's role as a regional hub, drawing workers and travelers from across a continent in flux. This managed-access model, while sometimes frustrating for independent travelers, has helped preserve the site and maintain a sense of genuine discovery that more commercialized ruins have lost.
For the trek itself, preparation matters enormously. You'll want quality waterproof hiking boots with solid ankle support, a reliable trekking backpack, and serious DEET insect repellent. A set of collapsible trekking poles will save your knees on the descent, and water purification tablets are a smart backup even on guided tours where water is provided.
The Caribbean Coast: Beyond the Backpacker Circuit
After the Lost City, Epstein's itinerary took him east of Santa Marta along the Caribbean coast — a stretch that sees considerably fewer tourists than the well-worn Cartagena corridor. This is deliberate. The coast east of Santa Marta includes Tayrona National Park, with its convergence of jungle and sea, as well as smaller fishing villages and beaches that haven't yet been absorbed into resort infrastructure.
The Caribbean coast is where Colombia's Afro-Colombian and Indigenous cultural influences are most visible. The food shifts toward coconut rice, fresh seafood, and tropical fruit combinations that don't appear anywhere else in the country. The pace slows. The heat remains, but near the water, a persistent onshore breeze makes it tolerable.
Cartagena often dominates Colombia's coastal marketing, and rightly so — it's a stunning colonial city. But Epstein's choice to explore east rather than defaulting to the well-documented route reflects a broader shift among experienced travelers who want depth over convenience. If you're planning a similar trip, blocking a few days for the coast between Santa Marta and the Guajira Peninsula will give you a version of Colombia that most visitors miss entirely.
Jardín: The Coffee Town That Looks Like a Film Set
Epstein describes Jardín, a small municipality in Antioquia's mountainous coffee region, as a place that "looks like something out of a movie set." He's not exaggerating. The town square, or parque principal, is ringed by brightly painted buildings with intricate wooden balconies overflowing with flowers. The surrounding mountains are blanketed in coffee and banana plantations. Narrow streets lead to viewpoints where the Andes fold into valley after valley in every direction.
Jardín remains significantly less visited than the nearby Coffee Triangle towns of Salento and Armenia, which have been absorbed into the international backpacker circuit to the point of feeling performative. Jardín has managed — for now — to maintain the authenticity that drew travelers to the coffee region in the first place. There's a working cable car up to a Christ statue overlooking the valley. There are family-run fincas where you can learn about coffee cultivation from seed to cup. There are no rooftop bars with DJs.
The coffee itself is exceptional. Colombia's Antioquia region produces some of the country's finest single-origin beans, and in Jardín you can drink them a day or two removed from harvest at prices that seem impossible by any other standard. If you're serious about coffee, bringing home a supply of freshly roasted beans is a given — pack a quality airtight coffee storage container in your luggage. A portable pour-over coffee dripper is also worth packing if you want to brew properly during the trip itself.
The journey to Jardín from Medellín takes roughly three hours by bus through winding mountain roads. The route is part of the experience — the Andes here are not subtle.
Medellín: The Transformation That Keeps Compounding
The final leg of Epstein's four-part trip was Medellín, a city that has become one of the most discussed urban transformations in modern history. Once the most dangerous city on Earth by per-capita homicide rate, Medellín has spent three decades rebuilding itself through urban planning innovation, education investment, and cultural programming that is genuinely world-class.
The cable cars and escalators connecting the hillside comunas to the city center below are famous by now — they've been featured in architecture and urban planning publications globally. But Medellín's appeal in 2026 goes well beyond its origin story. The restaurant scene is sophisticated. The nightlife in El Poblado and Laureles is relentless. The Botero Plaza and the Museum of Antioquia offer a concentrated dose of Colombian art and history. The climate, sitting at 5,000 feet elevation, earns its nickname: "La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera," the city of eternal spring.
Medellín is also where Epstein's trip illustrates something about modern travel planning: the entire journey was organized in March 2026 with the help of AI. This is increasingly how complex, multi-city itineraries get assembled — using AI tools to compare logistics, identify less-visited alternatives like Jardín, and optimize the sequence of destinations. It's a practical acknowledgment of how the planning process itself has shifted.
Planning the Trip: What You Need to Know
Colombia's geography is the most important logistical fact to internalize before booking anything. The country is enormous and topographically diverse — moving between the Caribbean coast, the coffee region, and Medellín involves real travel time. Epstein's four-part structure (Lost City, Caribbean coast, Jardín, Medellín) represents a coherent geographic arc from north to south, which is worth replicating or adapting.
For the Lost City trek specifically, bookings through authorized operators fill up, particularly in the high season (December–March and June–July). The tour costs vary by operator but typically run $350–$500 USD for the four-day guided experience, including food, accommodation in open-air camps along the trail, and the mandatory permits. No independent access is allowed, period.
Currency: the Colombian peso. While credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants in Medellín, cash is king in Jardín and essential on the trek. ATMs in Colombia have withdrawal limits, so plan accordingly. A good hidden travel money belt is a practical investment for managing cash safely. Travel insurance that covers adventure activities, including jungle trekking, is non-negotiable.
For the heat and humidity of the Sierra Nevada, light moisture-wicking hiking shirts are essential, as are quick-dry hiking pants. Pack light — camp accommodations on the Lost City trek don't offer laundry services, but you'll be wearing the same few items for four days regardless.
Colombia Right Now: Context for Travelers
No honest travel piece should ignore the broader context. Colombia in 2026 is a country experiencing significant growth in tourism while simultaneously navigating real domestic challenges. A recent report confirmed that Colombia's fiscal oversight agency faces shutdown due to budget cuts — a sign of ongoing economic pressures under the current administration. Separately, nine coal miners were killed in a gas explosion, a reminder of the extractive industries that still dominate parts of the economy outside the tourist corridor.
In early May 2026, a monster truck drove into a crowd at an event in Popayán, killing three people and injuring dozens more. Initial reports placed the death toll at two before it was revised upward. Popayán is a colonial city in the southwest, separate from the regions Epstein visited, but the incident is a relevant data point for anyone assessing current conditions.
The U.S. State Department's Colombia travel advisory as of 2026 recommends exercising increased caution, with specific regions (Chocó, Arauca, Catatumbo) designated as higher risk. The regions Epstein visited — the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Caribbean coast, the coffee region, and Medellín — are all within zones that see substantial international tourism and have established safety infrastructure for visitors. Do your research, register with your country's embassy, and buy comprehensive travel insurance.
What This Travel Renaissance Actually Means
Colombia's emergence as a serious international travel destination is not a sudden development — it's the culmination of two decades of security improvements, infrastructure investment, and deliberate tourism marketing. What Epstein's essay represents is the next phase: Colombia is no longer a story about overcoming its past. It's a story about what it's actually become.
The Lost City trek is emblematic of this shift. It's one of the most significant archaeological sites in South America, genuinely challenging to reach, and manages access in a way that preserves the experience. The fact that a Boston Globe travel writer is writing about it in May 2026 — and that readers are searching for it in large numbers — reflects the site's growing place in the serious traveler's consciousness alongside Machu Picchu and Tikal.
Jardín's inclusion in the itinerary is equally telling. As Salento has become congested with day-trippers, travelers with more time and curiosity are discovering its neighbor. This is how destination popularity diffuses: the anchor attracts attention, and the lesser-known alternatives absorb the overflow of travelers who want what made the anchor great before it was discovered. Jardín is in that window right now. It won't last indefinitely.
Medellín, meanwhile, has transcended its transformation narrative and become a destination in its own right — comparable in energy and sophistication to any mid-sized Latin American city, with lower costs, better weather, and a local population that has poured genuine civic pride into rebuilding what was lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is the Lost City trek?
The Lost City trek is rated moderate-to-strenuous. The four-day journey covers approximately 44 kilometers of jungle terrain with significant elevation change. The heat and humidity are the hardest elements to manage — with temperatures hitting 90°F and dew points in the mid-70s on the exposed lower sections, heat exhaustion is a real risk for unprepared trekkers. Most reasonably fit adults in good health can complete it with proper preparation. Age ranges on typical tours span 18–60+, but cardiovascular fitness and heat acclimatization make a significant difference.
Do I need a guide for the Lost City trek?
Yes, it's mandatory. Access to La Ciudad Perdida is controlled by the Colombian government and Indigenous communities. All visitors must go with an authorized tour operator and licensed guide. There are no exceptions, and no independent access is permitted. This is both a preservation measure and a practical safety requirement — the trail through the Sierra Nevada is not marked for independent navigation.
Is Colombia safe to visit in 2026?
The tourist-frequented regions — Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta, the coffee region, and the Sierra Nevada trek corridor — are considered reasonably safe for international visitors who take standard precautions. The U.S. State Department recommends increased caution nationwide, with specific higher-risk zones in remote border regions and certain departments that are not part of standard tourist itineraries. Petty theft is the most common risk in urban areas. The same situational awareness you'd apply in any Latin American city applies here: avoid displaying expensive equipment, use registered taxis or ride-share apps, and stay informed about your specific destination.
What's the best time of year to visit Colombia?
Colombia has two dry seasons: December through March, and June through August. The Lost City trek is possible year-round but is most challenging during the rainy season (April–May and September–November), when trails become slippery and river crossings more difficult. Epstein's March 2026 trip was timed at the tail end of the dry season — optimal for the trek. The Caribbean coast is generally drier from December through April. The coffee region's climate is more consistent year-round due to its elevation.
How should I plan a four-part Colombia itinerary?
Epstein's structure — Lost City trek first, then the Caribbean coast, then the coffee region, then Medellín — works well because it follows a geographic logic from north to south and sequences the most physically demanding activity first, when energy is highest. Plan a minimum of 14 days for this kind of trip: four days for the trek, two to three days on the coast, two to three days in Jardín or the coffee region, and three to four days in Medellín. Domestic flights connect the major cities quickly, and bus travel between Medellín and the coffee region is straightforward. Book the Lost City trek in advance, especially for high-season travel.
The Bottom Line
Colombia in 2026 is a destination that rewards effort. The Lost City trek is genuinely transformative — four days of jungle, heat, history, and physical challenge that deposits you at one of the Americas' most spectacular and least crowded ancient sites. Jardín offers a coffee-country experience that feels authentic precisely because it hasn't yet been optimized for tourists. Medellín delivers urban sophistication at a fraction of the cost of comparable cities. And the Caribbean coast east of Santa Marta gives you a version of Colombia that most visitors simply never reach.
Epstein's essay, grounded in a real March 2026 trip and published in the Boston Globe, isn't travel writing about a place you should visit someday. It's a specific, hard-won account of a trip that required planning, physical commitment, and a willingness to go beyond the itinerary every travel platform generates by default. That's the version of Colombia that's worth seeking out — and based on the interest it's generating, more travelers are starting to understand why.
