Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Parkside Plum Juice
Dishes at Aksorn are grounded in deep historical research.
Aksorn
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
7 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
8 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
9 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Colombia Sesquilé Lake of Guatavita

Lake of Guatavita

Known as the site of 'El Dorado,' this mysterious lake is rumored to hold gold beneath its waters.

Sesquilé, Colombia

Added By
Amber Snider
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Laguna de Guatavita   José Ángel Morente Valero
Laguna de Guatavita   José Ángel Morente Valero
Laguna de Guatavita   Mihai
Laguna de Guatavita   Quimbaya
Muisca raft offering gold   Michael Freeman/Alamy
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Lake of Guatavita, also known as Laguna de Guatavita, is a beautiful natural reserve located just two hours outside of Bogotá. After climbing 150 steps up to its crater-like edge, travelers can soak in views of the lush surrounding countryside of Cundinamarca and nearly perfect circular lagoon below. The verdant lake was also once a sacred ritual site of the Muisca civilization (the original indigenous peoples of Central Colombia), which eventually led to the rumored myth of El Dorado.

Here’s how the story goes: the Muisca Chief (later referred to as the zipa by Spanish conquistadors) would anoint himself with oils and gold dust and set sail to the center of the lake on a ceremonial raft. There, he would throw offerings of jewels into the lake —including emeralds, gold, metalwork, and other sacred trinkets—before plunging himself into the water.

The ritual reportedly marked the transition between Muisca chiefs, as well as showed reverence to the gods; the precious offerings were not used for material wealth but seen as religious or spiritual offerings for worship. By the 16th century, however, Spanish colonizers got word of the ritual and the mystical Lake Guatavita and began the now-infamous quest for El Dorado.

Translated from Spanish, El Dorado literally means “the golden one” (referring to the gold-adorned chief and his raft), but over time the legend was exaggerated to also include a city or even an empire made of solid gold. Armed with greed and an insatiable dream of wealth, Spanish conquistadors searched all over Latin America for the rumored mythical land.  

The Spanish colonizers attempted to drain Lake Guatavita several times in search of treasure, but their efforts were all unsuccessful. Although jewelry and artifacts were recovered from the lake, the rumors of a plentiful golden bounty hidden beneath the waters of the tree-lined, crater lake proved to be false. It wasn’t until over 300 years later that the quest for El Dorado finally began to exhaust itself and was ultimately dismissed as only a myth.

Today, Lake of Guatavita is located roughly 30 minutes from the town of “The New Guatavita.” The original town, which was once the capital of the Muisca people, was destroyed after it was flooded during the construction of the reservoir Embalse de Tominé. Built in the 1960s for the town’s displaced inhabitants, New Guatavita was recreated in the Spanish colonial style with rustic stucco buildings.  The small town is now home to just under 7,000 residents, and visitors can enjoy artisan and souvenir shops, as well as the Museo Guatavita.

Know Before You Go

Before heading out to the lake, check out the Museum of Gold in Bogotá, which offers a detailed history of the lake and the quest for El Dorado, as well as 55,000 pieces of gold and the ceremonial Muisca Raft.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music

Explore Colombia's depth: art, history, culture & transformation.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Amber C Snider

Edited By

Nikki Vargas

  • Nikki Vargas

Published

February 20, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Lake of Guatavita
Lake Guatavita
Sesquilé
Colombia
4.977596, -73.774997
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Guatavita la Nueva

Guatavita, Colombia

miles away

Nemocón Salt Mine

Nemocón, Colombia

miles away

Jaime Duque Park

Tocancipá, Colombia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Colombia

Colombia

South America

Places 93
Stories 23

Nearby Places

Guatavita la Nueva

Guatavita, Colombia

miles away

Nemocón Salt Mine

Nemocón, Colombia

miles away

Jaime Duque Park

Tocancipá, Colombia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Colombia

Colombia

South America

Places 93
Stories 23
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.