The historical search for El Dorado, it was the centuries-long European quest for a supposed land or city of immense gold in South America.
The legend appears to have roots in the Muisca people of what is now Colombia. Spanish accounts described a ruler associated with a ceremony involving gold and Lake Guatavita. (National Geographic)
How it changed:** “El Dorado” originally referred more to a “gilded man” or ruler, but Spanish explorers gradually transformed the story into a legend of a fabulously wealthy city or country of gold. (World History)
The searches:
During the 16th and 17th centuries, explorers repeatedly mounted expeditions across Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and the Amazon looking for it. Famous searchers included Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, Francisco de Orellana, Philip von Hutten, and Sir Walter Raleigh. (Wikisource)
Did they find it?
No.
There is no evidence that a literal golden city called El Dorado existed. The most plausible historical core is the Muisca ritual and the offerings associated with Lake Guatavita. (National Geographic)
Why it mattered:
The legend helped drive exploration and conquest, while also causing enormous loss of life and resources in the pursuit of nonexistent riches. (National Geographic)
In short:
The “search for El Dorado” began with a real Indigenous tradition and was gradually transformed by European retellings into the myth of a lost city of gold.