The green lake
In a hollow.
Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Camilo.Errante — CC BY-SA 4.0 · MdelPVD — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CarlosE Duarte — CC BY 3.0
A small, round green lake at the bottom of a hollow among hills, about 3,000 metres up, which inspired Latin America's most famous legend: «El Dorado», the golden man. It was sacred to the Muisca, whose descendants still respect it. Accounts say a new Muisca chief was covered in gold dust, then rafted to the middle of the lake and cast gold and emeralds into the water as offerings. From this story grew the legend of a city of gold that European explorers chased for centuries; they even tried to drain the lake, and an old notch in its rim still bears witness. You visit with a guide on a route that climbs a wooden path through mountain plants to lookouts on the rim of the hollow, while the guide tells the story and the rites. Swimming and going down to the water are banned, out of respect for its sanctity and to protect it. The climb is short but a little tiring at this altitude. It is cold and changeable, so bring a jacket. The visit is usually combined with the new town of Guatavita on the nearby reservoir.
In a hollow.
Muisca offerings.
On the rim.
Sesquilé area, Cundinamarca, about 57 km north-east of Bogotá
No: going into the water is banned out of respect for its sanctity to the Muisca and to protect it; you see it from rim lookouts with a guide.