The legend of El Dorado at Laguna de Guatavita

After our visit to Catedral de Sal, we set off about one hour away from Zipaquirá, for Laguna de Guatavita where the legend of El Dorado is said to have originated. This is the lake where the Muisca (indigenous people of Colombia) conducted a ritual which is widely believed to be the basis of the legend. The story is more elaborate, but simply put, a ceremony took place on the appointment of a new ruler wherein he would be covered in gold dust and then dive into the lake from a raft. Gold and jewel offerings were also thrown into the lake by the worshippers. El Dorado is supposedly the name of the tribal chief but has evolved to mean the place, the lost city of gold. Conquistadors heard of this ceremony and made various attempts to recover the treasures within the lake. 

As if to check if our knees, lungs, and willpower would hold up to the test of high altitude, we went on yet another hike to get the view of the lake. It was also steep but the trail was mostly paved by stone steps.

Our companions and the kids were way ahead of us. Hubby and I must be getting old. Along the way, we saw some bright, red mushrooms and beautiful flora. The view of the town just kept getting better and better.

We were rewarded at the top by a fantastic view of the lake. It was well worth the climb! What has made it more magical is the legend behind it.

A few dozen pictures later (of all angles we could possibly take), we prepared to go down. We have come to realize that climbing down is harder on the knees than going up. We took a deep breath and began our descent. Somewhere behind the trees, my kids called out, “Mommy, Daddy, are you coming?!”