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At 3hrs 30mins north of Bogota, the white town of Guatavita is a great place for a long weekend. It's also where you'll find the Guatavita Lagoon, the origin of the El Dorado legend and myths surrounding the Muiscas and Chibchas people.

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At a short hop from Bogota, I was able to visit this town several times, both alone and in company. The town is really pretty, with white houses, a colosseum and a large square where events are often held - traditional dances, the infant school's theatre productions, craft markets... Take a walk around the outskirts of the town towards the Guatavita Lagoon : you'll come across a gorgeous, turquoise lagoon that's steeped in legend.
The goddess Bachué and her child, progenitors of the Chibcha civilisation, rose from this lagoon. It's said that once Bachué and her son (with whom she had an incestuous relationship) had peopled these lands, they dived back into the lagoon's waters and turned into snakes. Since then, only the Chibchas' cacique is allowed to enter its waters and does so covered in mud and gold for the occasion. This is the origin of the El Dorado legend ('el doré' meaning 'gold'): a lake filled with gold that led to the death of numerous explorers who tried to uncover its wealth.

At 3hrs 30mins north of Bogota, the white town of Guatavita is a great place for a long weekend. It's also where you'll find the Guatavita Lagoon, the origin of the El Dorado legend and myths surrounding the Muiscas and Chibchas people.

Guatavita Holidays

Visit Guatavita

Guatavita: How to get there?

Guatavita: See when to go?

Guatavita: For how long?

Guatavita: What to see nearby?

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