El Dorado Dorado and the initiation rite of the new "zipa", which used to take place in Lake Guatavita. The Spanish captured large amounts of gold from the Muisca, which led them to spread the word that El Dorado was near. After his brother Gonzalo had left for Spain in May 1539, Spanish conquistador Hernán Pérez de Quesada set out a new expedition in September 1540, leaving with 270 Spanish soldiers and countless indigenous porters to explore the Llanos Orientales. One of his main captains on this journey was Baltasar Maldonado. Their expedition was unsuccessful and after reaching Quito, the troops returned
El Dorado, California Dorado is in . El Dorado, California El Dorado (Spanish for "The golden"; formerly Eldorado, Mud Spring, and Mud Springs), not to be confused with the nearby El Dorado Hills, is an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It is located southwest of Placerville, at an elevation of 1608 feet (490 m). The population was 4,096 at the 2000 census. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #486. The ZIP code is 95623. The community is inside area code 530. El Dorado, "The Gilded One", was first known as Mud Springs from the boggy quagmire the cattle and