Teyuna
In 1972 treasure hunter, Florentino Sepúlveda, and his sons, Julio Cesar and Jacobo, were deep in the jungle of the Sierra Nevada.
This band of guaqueros (grave robbers) were crawling all over this part of Colombia, searching for lost artefacts that could be sold on the black markets of nearby Santa Marta.
What Florentino and his boys ended up discovering that day, was a treasure for the world, though they tried and failed to keep it for themselves (more on that later).
Close to edge of a cool river, they stumbled across a set of stone steps, and, as they hacked their way up through the undergrowth, they unknowingly ascended to the ancient city of Teyuna, abandoned then swallowed up by Mother Nature more than 300 years before.
Let's leave our exhausted treasure hunters at the top of those 1,200 steps for a moment and head back a little further...
About 2,000 years ago, the Tayrona people made their way from Asia, to North America.
By 200 AD, they'd past through what we now know as Canada, the USA and Central America to reach Colombia, acquiring advanced skills in agriculture, clay and craftsmanship along the way.
In 750AD, they founded the city of Teyuna, high up in the Sierra Nevada, which acted as their capital, and they lived peacefully there until 1532, when the Spanish landed on Colombia’s shores.
Initially, the Europeans were keen to trade with the Tayrona people, especially when they set their eyes on their beautiful gold jewellery.
The Tayrona were amenable to trading and initial relations between the Spanish conquerors and their indigenous hosts were cordial.
Things took a turn when the Spanish transported the gold home and found on melting it down that it was an alloy of copper and gold.
Feeling cheated, they returned to the Tayrona, demanding reparations. The Tayrona refused and the Spanish responded with violence, attempting to force them into labour.
The Tayrona resisted and the conquerors decided to bring in enslaved Africans from Cartagena to build their settlements instead. What followed was one hundred uneasy years with the three groups living side by side.
The Spainish brought disease with them to the Sierra Nevada, and the Tayrona shamans were inundated with people coming to them with illnesses impervious to traditional cures.
Finally, around 1650, the Tayrona denounced the city of Teyuna as cursed and its 3,000 inhabitants deserted it, scattering even further in the Sierra Nevada.
It lay dormant below thick jungle for three centuries until Florentino and his sons chanced upon the staircase to the city.
The Sepúlvedas ran a brilliant operation at first, furiously digging up the city and returning to Santa Marta laden with treasures which they sold for big profits.
Their success remained a mystery to everyone except close family friend, Frankie Ray, who joined them in the enterprise.
Alas, Floretino was not a discreet man, and it wasn't long before he spilled the golden beans to his fellow guaqueros during a night of drinking.
Soon Teyuna was beseiged by treasure hunters pillaging the city at a ferocious rate. It's said that in an argument over the ownership of a golden eagle, one of Florentino's sons was shot and killed.
The unforgiving jungle conditions and the fierce fighting led to the guaqueros naming Tayuna Infierno Verde (Green Hell).
Seeking an end to the madness, Frankie Ray made a trip to Santa Marta and informed the Colombian government about what was going on.
He led a small party of Government officials and archeologists to the city, which by this time had been almost completely ransacked.
Some of the few treasures and artefacts that remained can now be found in the excellent Gold Museum in Santa Marta.
When the Government sent further representatives in a helicopter to explore the site, the pilot found it impossible to land despite having GPS coordinates. It's said they radioed to those on the ground, saying 'the city is lost, the city is lost'.
In 1979, UNESCO declared Colombia's lost city a world heritage site, though looting continued and the city was subject to turf wars between the Government, guerrilas and drug trafficers for a number of years.
The first tours took place in 1985, led by none other than Frankie Ray, now known affectionately among today's guides as the grandfather of tourism.
In 2003, the city was closed for two years following the kidnapping of a group of tourists and their guide by the guerrila group, ELN (they were all released three months later).
For the past 15 years visitor numbers have been steadily rising, although restricted. The lands belong to the indigenous population and tourists visit at their invitation.
Only six organisations are authorised to lead tours and all of them work in cooperation with the indigenous leaders and contribute 1% of their revenue to the local communities.
The joke of course, is that for the Tayrona and their descendants, the city was never lost, just sleeping.
Now it's been shaken awake, it's being 'discovered' by fresh pairs of eyes from all over the world every day.
