The Museo del Oro Tairona occupies the Casa de la Aduana, a beautifully restored colonial mansion on Plaza Bolívar. The collection focuses on the Tayrona people, who built the terraced city complex we call Ciudad Perdida in the Sierra Nevada centuries before the Spanish arrived. The gold pieces are extraordinary — pendants, nose rings, and ornamental objects cast in techniques the Tayrona developed independently and mastered to a high degree.
The centrepiece is a large-scale model of Ciudad Perdida showing the full extent of the ruins — immensely useful if you are planning the trek, giving context for what the site actually looked like. There is also a well-organised collection of pottery, tools, and textiles. Free admission and well-annotated in both Spanish and English make this the best museum in the city. Open Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.