 In 1514, the Spanish first permanently settled in the area.With Santa Marta (founded on July 29, 1525 by the Spanish "conquistador" Rodrigo de Bastidas) and Cartagena (1533), Spanish control of the coast was established, and the extension of colonial control into the interior could begin.Starting in 1536, the "conquistador" Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada explored the extensive highlands of the interior of the region, by following the Magdalena River into the Andean cordillera.