Bogotá

The legend of El Dorado started here. Spanish conquistadors heard tales of a Muisca chief who covered himself in gold dust and dove into Lake Guatavita during coronation rituals. They spent decades hunting for a golden city that never existed.

The real treasure was the sophisticated civilization already thriving in these mountains.

Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded Bogota in 1538 on the site of Bacatá, a Muisca settlement. The Spanish named it Santa Fe de Bogotá and made it the capital of New Granada, their massive northern South American territory.

Sitting at 8,660 feet above sea level, it became one of the highest capital cities in the world. Visitors still feel the thin air.

For nearly 300 years, Spain controlled the region from this mountain capital. Then Simón Bolívar changed everything.

His victory at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819 broke Spanish rule. Three days later he marched into Bogota. The city became the capital of an independent nation.

Peace didn’t last forever. On April 9, 1948, a gunman assassinated Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, a wildly popular political leader. Bogota exploded in riots that destroyed much of downtown.

Colombians still call it El Bogotazo, and the violence reshaped the country’s politics for generations.

Visit the Gold Museum to see tens of thousands of pre-Columbian artifacts and understand why conquistadors went crazy searching for more. Wander La Candelaria’s colonial streets, where brightly painted houses climb the hills below Monserrate.

Take the funicular or cable car to the white church at the summit for views across the entire valley.

Try ajiaco, Bogota’s signature soup made with three types of potatoes, chicken, corn, and a local herb called guascas. Street vendors sell arepas stuffed with cheese. Bakeries stock almojábanas, chewy cheese bread perfect for mornings.

Order hot chocolate served with a chunk of cheese to dip in it. Sounds weird but ittastes incredible.