Deep in the northwest corner of Arkansas lies a cavern with a legend that has captivated treasure hunters for generations: the Lost Treasure of the Spanish Conquistadors.
According to local Arkansas folklore, Spanish conquistadors traveling through this new land once hid a vast hoard of gold and silver in a cave and then vanished.
The Legend of the Lost Treasure of the Spanish Conquistadors in Arkansas
I know, I know, it sounds implausible to me, too.
But I’ll still tell you the Arkansas tale of the lost treasure of the Spanish conquistadors.
How the Story Goes…
Like most legends this tale is told in many different ways with various details. However, the basic outline of the story goes like this:
- A band of Spanish explorers or conquistadors, in pursuit of riches in the New World, were robbing both churches and the natives as they made their way through Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma and into the Ozarks of what is now Arkansas.
- By the time they got into the mountains they had accumulated several chests of gold and other valuable items…and made some of the natives very angry.
- During their journey they encountered some kind of disaster, most of the stories say that it was a winter storm, that forced them to take shelter in a cave. They hid their treasure and made plans to come back for it in better conditions.
- Some of the natives that they had robbed and looted realized that the Spaniards were still in the area and tracked them down and killed most of them.
- It is thought that at least one person survived.
- Years later, in 1885 a man from Spain found some old treasure maps in a family Bible. These maps led him Arkansas and he found the cave and begin searching it. That was the first treasure hunt in the Old Spanish Cave
As you might imagine the legend of the lost treasure of the Spanish Conquistadors went on from there and has persisted through the years.
Many treasure hunters have dug shafts in the cave and combed through the tunnels searching for any glimmer of gold.
There have even been mining operations there.
No one has found Spanish riches, but that hasn’t stopped the hopeful from trying.
The Old Spanish Treasure Cave Today
The Old Spanish Treasure Cave is one of the great caverns in Arkansas that offer tours to the public. It has been owned by the same people for years.
The owner has personally found part of a sword blade and a belt, and says that there are stories of people finding gold coins.
More Information about the cave
- Address: 14290 North Highway 59. Sulphur Springs, AR 72768
- Phone Number: (479) 787-6508
- Check the website: Old Spanish Treasure Cave
Why This Story Persists
The legend has stuck for a number of reasons.
First of all people just love to believe in the idea of finding hidden treasure. Not only that but the Spanish conquistador narrative has quite an allure as does the idea of mysterious maps.
Also, the region is rugged and wild. The caves, sinkholes, bluffs, and thick forests give it the feeling that something could indeed be hidden.
Not only that, but there is documented Spanish activity in the area way in the past as well as early mining expeditions in the region.
All of this comes together to make one of the great Arkansas legends.
Is the Story True?
Like so many enduring legends, the truth of the lost treasure of the Spanish Conquistadors probably lies somewhere between fact and fantasy.
The Spanish certainly explored parts of Arkansas in the 1500s, and they may well have passed through the Ozarks. But the idea of tons of gold hidden in a cavern has never been confirmed by any historical record.
Many of the claims are based on oral tradition, newspaper tales, local lore, or speculative treasure-hunting accounts.
That said, you never know.
What I like about these old Arkansas legends is the way they connect us to the deep past of the region and offer a fascinating “what if” scenario.
Let me know what you think if you visit the Old Spanish Treasure Cave!
Thanks for stopping by!
