Researchers believe they may have located the rumored-yet-unconfirmed city of la Ciudad Blanca, the “White City” thought to have been described by Hernan Cortez to King Charles V in 1526. Cortez and others thought the fabled city to be a huge metropolis filled with riches but it was never found—until now, or so speculation goes.

Archeologists and documentary filmmakers Steven Elkins and Bill Benenson began the search last year. They were encouraged to act after recent studies promoted the idea that complex cities once existed in the rain forests of Central and South America during a time when the forests were likely better maintained by locals. The decision paid off; lidar readings covering 60 square miles of the Mosquitia region in Honduras revealed potential ruins that include canals, roads, and building foundations.