The legend of the City of Gold, El Dorado (literally "Gilded Man"), originates in the 16th century during the Spanish conquistadors' conquest of Latin America.

During the conquest of the Andes, indigenous pre-Columbian peoples shared part of their culture with the conquistadors, including certain ceremonies. While accounts of these ceremonies differ, they all describe a man covered in gold dust, offering large quantities of gold and jewelry to a lake to appease the gods dwelling in the depths.

Convinced of the existence of a hidden city holding immense riches, the conquistadors brought this tale back to Europe, which sparked keen interest in pre-Columbian culture over the following decades, resulting in several expeditions to find El Dorado.