Things That Caused the Legend
Lake Guatavita Bogotá, ColumbiaThe main causes of the legend of El Dorado, was the Muisca tribe and their chiefs unusual rituals. When the spanish first arrived in the New World they found large quantities of gold, this lead them to believe there was a city somewhere in South America supplying it. Due to the tribes immense wealth in gold, and the ritual in which the chief would cover himself in gold dust, led the spanish explorers to name the chief “the gilded one” or El Dorado. The story of the chief was told by word of mouth by the people, chopping and changing each time it was told until it became known as El Dorado, the city of gold.
Images courtesy of - http://www.colombia.travel/en/international-tourist/vacations-holidays-where-to-go/recommended-weekend-destinations/guatavita