Historical Marker

Spanish Entrada Site

Among the many cultural sites located nearby is a camp where Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s troops spent part of the winter of 1540-41 while searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Archaeological excavations in 1985 confirmed the location near the Tiwa pueblos of Kuaua and Santiago to the north, which were visited by the troops. The ruins of Kuaua (Tiwa for “evergreen”) are preserved and interpreted at the Coronado State Monument near Bernalillo.