Fill in the Blanks Spanish conquest ColombiaOnline version Spanish conquest Colombia by Diana Guzman Espejo 1 Christopher Columbus fabulous Sierra Marta stories gold Indians 1499 treasures myth Colombia Alonso Dorado Ojeda Spanish conquest Colombia is named after , even though he never set foot on Colombian soil . It was de , one of Columbus' companions on his second voyage , who was the first European to set foot on the land in . He briefly explored the Nevada de Santa and was astonished by the wealth of the local . Their and their about inland gave birth to the of El , a mysterious kingdom abundant in gold . In its most extreme interpretation , El Dorado was believed to be a land of gold mountains littered with emeralds .