Eldorado: The Fabric of a Legend (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798323622412)

The myth of Eldorado spread due to a ritual the Muisca tribe performed in present-day Colombia. However, the territory that the Muisca controlled didn't have much gold to speak of; instead they traded salt from their salt mines for the occasional payment in the precious metal.

Nevertheless, the legend of the chief of the Muisca tribe offering gold and precious stones in a remote lake caught the ears of many conquistadors who wanted to repeat the fantastic feats of Hernando Cortés and Francisco Pizarro.

The expeditions - each one more extravagant and costly than the previous - caused unimaginable misery for anyone involved and all the victims that stood in their way.