When the Spanish conquistadores entered the central highlands of Colombia, they encountered the Muisca Confederation; territories of the Muisca. Guachetá was an independent territory within the confederation, led by a "cacique". The Spanish army leader Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded Guachetá on March 12th, 1537 and initially called it "San Gregorio" because of the date. The Muisca spoke Chibcha and Guachetá in Chibcha means "farmlands of the hill".