Sectors of the Lost City in Colombia

Sectors of Teyuna or Ciudad Perdida

Once at the Park, the traditional tour that guides follow for visitors takes between forty-five minutes and an hour. However, outside the regular route, and if there is enough time, the visitor can explore all the sectors open to the public.

In general, the tour begins at the large central terrace, continues towards the "Piedras" sector where there are also two houses used by the Kogi mamo from the basin, descends to the "Mahecha" sector, and takes the peripheral path to the "North" sector or "La Gallera." From here, the cobbled path continues to the "Quiebrapatas" creek, where visitors can take a bath, and continues back to the starting point, ascending through the central staircase.

Sector: Central Axis

This area contains structures where the political and social power of the settlement likely concentrated. From the first terrace, which connects to the central staircase, the buildings were constructed upward in a short period of time after 1200 A.D. In this zone, the most elaborate and complex stonework of the archaeological site can be found, requiring considerable amounts of stone and hours of work for the construction of the structures. The largest terrace and the oval structure following it to the north – known as "La Capilla" – were used as meeting places for feasts and rituals due to their large size, architectural design, and central location. The smaller rings were likely residential and storage structures used by the elite of the settlement. On either side of the Central Axis are additional residential terraces, accessible via paths and stairways branching from the central axis. In total, this area occupies about 48,000 square meters.

Number of terraces: 46.
Number of rings: 60.

Sector: Piedras

This sector is one of the most densely built areas of the settlement, and it is where the use of large rocks as the base for terraces, parts of walls, and even furniture is most evident. Here, the careful work of water drainage in some terraces and rings can also be seen.

This sector also contains quarry areas that were probably used for construction. From here, another path leads down to the Buritaca River and connects to settlements further up the basin. It is primarily a residential area, with construction spanning approximately 28,000 square meters.

Number of terraces: 38.
Number of rings: 51.

Sector: The Canal or Ahecha

Some excavations conducted in 2006 in this sector suggest it was one of the last to be built, possibly between the 15th and 16th centuries. Here, visitors can observe rather complex terraces with multiple stairways and retaining walls, as well as a water channel. It is also one of the most beautiful sectors due to the way the terraces follow the slope in a stepped manner. The construction covers an area of 16,000 square meters. Like the "Piedras" sector, this is also a residential area.

Number of terraces: 22.
Number of rings: 28.

Sector: North or La Gallera

This is the first group of terraces reached when ascending from the Buritaca River. It is the oldest residential sector, as most of the buried structures found here belong to the early or Neguanje period. Some of the largest rings and terraces can also be seen here. It is believed that a small ring found in this sector was used as the base for a storage structure. Paths lead from this sector to the Quiebrapatas Creek, the Central Axis, the Canal sector, and the Buritaca River. The construction occupies an area of 28,000 square meters.

Number of terraces: 19.
Number of rings: 32.