Lake Guatavita

• Official website: car.gov.co
• Visiting time: every day from 09:00 to 16:00

Guatavita is a mountain lake in Colombia . A relatively small body of water became known as the place where the famous for the whole world Eldorado. It is believed that at the bottom of the lake there are millions of gold ornaments. For this reason, since the XVI century, Guatavita has attracted tourists the opportunity to get rich. Today, the lake has the status of Colombia's National Treasure.

Description

Guatavita is a mountain lake in Colombia . A relatively small body of water became known as the place where the famous for the whole world Eldorado. It is believed that at the bottom of the lake there are millions of gold ornaments. For this reason, since the XVI century, Guatavita has attracted tourists the opportunity to get rich. Today, the lake has the status of Colombia's National Treasure.

Description

Lake Guatavita is located 50 km from Bogota , in one of the extinct craters in the mountains of Cundinamarca. In the time of the existence of the mice, it was sacred. The lake is located at an altitude of 3100 m. The diameter of Guatavit is 1600 m, and the circumference is 5000 m. It is also interesting that the lake has the shape of an almost ideal circle.

The Golden Legend

At a time when Indians lived on the territory of Colombia, the lake was the site of an important rite. During it the leader was coated with clay and covered with golden sand. After that he set out on a raft in the middle of Guatavita and threw gold ornaments into the water. According to one version, this was done to appease the enemies, and on the other - to crown the king-priest.

The story of gold at the bottom went beyond Colombia, and adventurers began to come to the lake, wanting to enrich themselves. The most famous cases are:

1. XVI century. One foreign merchant decided at all costs to get wealth from the bottom of Lake Guatavita. He ordered a canal in the rock to lower the water level. When the depth of the lake was 3 m less, the merchant was able to pick up a few ornaments. But their cost could not recoup the further work, so he left this venture.
2. The last attempt to get gold from the bottom. In 1801, Guatavita was visited by a German scientist, who determined that 50 million gold items were on his bottom. This became a resonant news. In 1912, the wealthy British organized a joint stock company with a capital of 30,000 pounds. For this money, they were able to pump out water in the lake and lower the water level by 12 m. But this only led to a deeper draining of the banks, and gold continued to hide under a thick layer of silt. Therefore, the work was stopped. There were no more major projects for gold mining.

Where can I see the gold of Guatavita?

Despite the fact that only a few gold pieces were raised from the bottom of the lake, they can still be seen. They are part of the exposition of the Museum of Gold in Bogota. Ornaments, which the merchant managed to obtain in the 16th century, are also there. In the museum you can not only see the gold of the Indians, but also learn the history of all attempts to get it.

How to get there?

In order to get from Bogota to Lake Guatavita, it is necessary:

• go to track number 55 and go to the north;
• after reaching La Playa, turn to Guatavita-Sesquile and follow it 7 km;
• turn to the Via Laguna de Guatavita near the naval club;
• After 9 km you will find yourself at the parking lot of Lake Guatavita. A souvenir shop will serve as a guide, which resembles a hut.