El Dorado El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden one"), originally "El Hombre Dorado" ("The Golden Man") or "El Rey Dorado" ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish Empire to describe a mythical tribal chief ("zipa") of the Muisca native people in then Spanish colonial province of Colombia, who, as an initiation rite, covered himself with gold dust and submerged in Lake Guatavita. The legends surrounding El Dorado changed over time, as it went from being a man, to a city, to a kingdom, and then finally to an empire. A second location for El Dorado
Raleigh's El Dorado Expedition to Guiana" after his return. De Berrío the same year also set out with a Spanish expedition of his own with 470 men under command of to search for El Dorado. As they advanced further inland however the Amerindians now allied to England then attacked and destroyed Vera and Berrio's entire force losing 350 men. The rest tried to retreat but soon after disease and famine reduced the survivors to only a handful of men. In 1617, Raleigh having been released from prison by order of King James I returned to continue his quest for El Dorado on a second