Overview of 'The Mysterious Cities of Gold' Season 1

Episode 1 - Esteban, Child of the Sun

Release Date: 1982-06-29

Father Rodriguez, who has looked after Esteban since he was a baby, tells him a great secret on his deathbed: somewhere his father may still be alive. So Esteban decides to begin his search in the New World. With the help of Mendoza, a mysterious man who claims to have rescued him as a baby, Esteban hides as a stowaway, aboard the Esperanza. As they are about to set sail, he meets a young Inca girl: Zia.

Episode 2 - Crossing the Atlantic

Release Date: 1982-07-06

The two children, Esteban and Zia, find out that they both wear the same strange medallion. The Esperanza crosses the Atlantic and nears the entrance of the Straits of Magellan, where wild seas and strong winds create terrible storms. Mendoza, the navigator, prepares to spend four days and nights at the wheel.

Episode 3 - Heroes Again

Release Date: 1982-07-13

Buffeted by a fierce wind and a wild sea, the Esperanza manages to sail through the Straits of Magellan, under Mendoza's guidance. But now, the ship faces another trial of strength: it is in the grip of a hurricane.

Episode 4 - Adrift on the Endless Sea

Release Date: 1982-07-20

Esteban and his friends barely cross through the terrible Straits of Magellan before their ship, the Esperanza, sinks in a storm. Tossed around on a small raft and attacked by sharks, they're left in the middle of the ocean, with no provisions. But a seagull overhead guides them towards the closest shores, and they finally reach a small island.

Episode 5 - The Abduction of Zia

Release Date: 1982-07-27

After a dangerous journey, Esteban and his friends are washed up on a mysterious island. That night, a shadowy figure comes creeping towards them. Silently, the figure steals a chart and a pistol, then snatches up Zia. Esteban gives chase. He discovers a curious house in a tree, where Zia is a prisoner. To Esteban's surprise, the mysterious shadow turns out to be a friendly boy of his own age, called Tao.

Episode 6 - The Ship Solaris

Release Date: 1982-08-03

On a small island among the Galapagos, Esteban and Zia find a young boy living all alone: Tao. His ancestors left a magnificent ship, the Solaris, which contains their ancient secret knowledge, hidden in a temple on the island. Esteban and Zia want to use the ship to reach the mainland.

Episode 7 - Secret of the Solaris

Release Date: 1982-08-24

Gomez' Spanish galleon overtakes and attacks the Solaris, the sun-powered ship on which the children are travelling. They manage to outrun the Spanish ship when Tao discovers a wonderful secret solar power boost, just in time. At last, they reach the new continent.

Episode 8 - The New Continent

Release Date: 1982-08-31

After many adventures, Esteban and his friends finally set foot on the new continent. But there, they meet the soldiers of Governor Pizarro, men who think only of gold. They capture Zia and try to make her tell them the way to the Cities of Gold, but Tao and Esteban help her to escape.

Episode 9 - The End of the Solaris

Release Date: 1982-09-07

Esteban and his companions escape from Pizarro, but their fabulous ship, the Solaris, is taken by Gaspard and Gomez. They offer to exchange the ship for Zia, and her secret. Trying to save Zia, and the friendly Inca people in the village, Tao blows up Gomez's ship, but sadly the Solaris is also destroyed.

Episode 10 - Secret of the Temple

Release Date: 1982-09-14

Esteban and his friends are on their way to Zia's village, when they are surrounded by Spanish soldiers. The children manage to escape, and take refuge in an underground temple, where they meet the old priest, Pasha. To help them escape, the priest melts the pillar of ice that supports the temple roof, and it crashes down on top of him. The others just manage to get away.

Episode 11 - Messengers of the Region

Release Date: 1982-09-21

Gomez captures the children and forces Zia to reveal the secret of the Golden Quipu. It is an Inca message which reveals that the Cities of Gold lie beyond the High Mountain Peak. In the night, Esteban and the children escape. They find a secret underground passage and set off for the High Peak.

Episode 12 - Secret of the Medallions

Release Date: 1982-09-28

The Spanish army follow Esteban and his friends to the Fort of the Black Eagle. Under cover of darkness, the Spaniards attack the fort, but Tao devises a rocket flare that repels the attackers, saving the fort. The three children leave the fort and at last reach the City of the High Peak, whose chief, Kraka, tells them that the medallions Esteban and Zia wear can open the doors of Sela, one of the Cities of Gold.

Episode 13 - Mystery of the Parents

Release Date: 1982-10-05

When Esteban arrives at the place called the High Peak, he meets an old man, Mayuka, who seems to know something about his parents.

Episode 14 - Esteban's Medallions

Release Date: 1982-10-12

Mendoza steals the Spanish army's cannon in order to win the trust of the Indians, but his plan fails. As the three Spaniards are about to be executed, Esteban comes to save them. But he demands that Mendoza give him back the sun section of his gold medallion.

Episode 15 - The Subterranean Secret

Release Date: 1982-10-26

Gomez and his soldiers attack the Fort of the Black Eagle to try to recapture the cannon Mendoza had stolen. Mendoza uses the cannon to fight back, but cannot stop the Spanish army who storm the fort and drive the Incas out. Esteban, Tao and Zia run away towards the High Peak, following secret underground passages constructed by the Incas.

Episode 16 - The Urubus

Release Date: 1982-11-09

Searching for the Cities of Gold, Esteban and his friends cross a high plateau up in the Andes. Near Lake Titicaca, they are attacked by the Urubus, a tribe of giants. Tao invents a submarine, and they capture Karuga, chief of the tribe, and hold him prisoner. Karuga tells them that there's a City of Gold on a mountain, guarded by the earth goddess, Pachamama.

Episode 17 - The Great Condor

Release Date: 1982-11-16

The setting sunlight leads Esteban and his friends to the statue of the earth goddess, Pachamama. The legend goes that when Pachamama takes the sun in her arms, the Gates to the Cities of Gold will open. Estaban and Zia place their medallions in the statue and the mountain opens up to reveal the first City of Gold. Inside they discover a great bird, made of solid gold.

Episode 18 - Maiden Flight of the Condor

Release Date: 1982-11-23

Inside the first City of Gold, Esteban finds a great Golden Condor. When the volcano on which the Cities are built begins to erupt, the Cities are destroyed. Sheltering inside the body of the Condor, they try to make its mechanism work, using the Medallion of the Sun. Suddenly, the giant bird spreads its wings and takes flight.

Episode 19 - The Nasca Plateau

Release Date: 1982-11-30

The great Golden Condor, carrying Esteban and his friends away from Pachamama and the erupting volcano, lands in the desert at Nazca. But when Pizarro and his soldiers arrive, Esteban makes sure everyone escapes.

Episode 20 - The Spaniards' Cannon

Release Date: 1982-12-07

The Golden Condor carries Esteban and his companions to the High Peak, where they encounter the Spanish forces, armed with their cannon. With the help of the Golden Condor, they stop Gomez and Gaspard. And when they had saved their friends, they leave the High Peak, in search of the land of the Mayas.

Episode 21 - The Amazons

Release Date: 1982-12-14

The group head for the land of the Mayas, on board the Golden Condor, when they are forced to land in the jungle. They are captured by Amazon warriors and taken to their temple, to be sacrificed to the Rain God. But Esteban uses his special powers, and the sun comes out. The Queen is so impressed by his power to command the sun, that she orders their release.

Episode 22 - The Mirror of the Moon

Release Date: 1982-12-21

Esteban and his friends on board the Golden Condor have to make a forced landing in the jungle, where they're captured by Amazon warriors who want to sacrifice them to their Rain God. After some difficulties, they manage to escape from this dangerous situation. And in the end, the Queen of the Amazons allows them to leave for the land of the Mayas.

Episode 23 - The Jade Mask

Release Date: 1983-01-11

In the jungle, Esteban and his friends discover some ruins, deserted temples and pyramids. In one of the temples, Pedro and Sancho try to remove a jade mask from the wall when the mask begins to glow. Suddenly the stone beams shoot out of the walls, ceiling and floor and trip them up.

Episode 24 - The Manuscript

Release Date: 1983-01-18

After solving the secret of the green jade mask, Esteban and his friends find a manuscript which seems to hold the key to the whereabouts of the Cities of Gold. But almost immediately, they are captured by Doctor Fernando Laguerra and his friend, Marinche, who are also searching for the Cities of Gold. However, Kokapetl manages to rescue them all.

Episode 25 - The Lake of Gold

Release Date: 1983-01-25

Esteban and his friends are captured by Indians who wanted to sacrifice them to purify their sacred lake of gold. Marinche and Doctor Laguerra try to poison the lake so they could get at all the treasure on the bottom. Mendoza foils their plan by breaking through the dam, flooding the village and allowing the children to escape.

Episode 26 - The Swamps

Release Date: 1983-02-15

The Serpent God of the Mayas was said to have crossed the mountains to build a new city in the east, among the swamps of the Rain God. Setting out to find this second city, Esteban and his friends are tricked by Marinche, and find themselves fighting the alligators in the marshes. After a savage battle, they escape to the other side of the swamp.

Episode 27 - The Doors of Night

Release Date: 1983-02-22

Esteban and his friends find the second City of Gold, but they are captured by Marinche and the Doctor. The Doctor finds a new manuscript, but is caught in a trap set into the floor of the temple. The children get the manuscript which tells of a third city, to be found near a forest of statues.

Episode 28 - The Forest of Statues

Release Date: 1983-03-01

After much travelling and many adventures, Esteban and his friends finally discover the third temple built deep inside an enormous cave. A golden statue is holding a third manuscript which mentions a mountain known as "The Burning Shield".

Episode 29 - The Burning Shield

Release Date: 1983-03-08

Having found the Burning Shield, Esteban and his friends fall into the hands of the mysterious Olmecs, who possess very advanced technology. They escape from them, but are captured again. So what will happen to them now?

Episode 30 - The Escape

Release Date: 1983-03-15

Using their advanced technology, the Olmecs are able to collect energy from the heat of the sun, and from deep inside the Earth. They capture Esteban, Tao and Zia, intent on transplanting their cells to regenerate their elders, so they can become young again. With Mendoza's help, the children manage to escape.

Episode 31 - The Village of the New Sun

Release Date: 1983-04-05

Esteban and his friends are guests at the Village of the New Sun. But the Olmecs have found the Golden Condor, and prepare to attack the village, with the help of the Doctor and Marinche, who mean to steal the great golden bird for themselves. Meanwhile, Myena discovers that Papacamayo, the old chief, is really Zia's father.

Episode 32 - Attack of the Olmecs

Release Date: 1983-04-12

With the help of Gomez and Gaspard, Esteban and his friends succeed in getting the Golden Condor to fly. But the Olmecs find the Indian Village of the New Sun, and mount a fierce attack. With the help of the Golden Condor, they are defeated. But Zia's father, Papacamayo, has been seriously wounded.

Episode 33 - The Reunion

Release Date: 1983-04-19

In the Indian Village of the New Sun, Zia at last finds her father, Papacamayo. But her happiness is short-lived, when he dies from his wounds, after defending the village against an attack by the Olmecs. All the Mayan tribes unite to fight against the Olmecs.

Episode 34 - Revolt of the Mayas

Release Date: 1983-04-26

The Mayan people arm themselves and attack the Olmecs, who have been tyrannising them for years. A fierce battle takes place near the entrance to the Olmec base. From the Golden Condor, Esteban and the other children bombard the Olmecs with stones, turning the tide of the battle in favour of the Mayas.

Episode 35 - The Olmec Machine

Release Date: 1983-05-10

Esteban and his friends manage to find their way into the Olmec base. But Kalmec discovers them, and takes Zia prisoner. Suddenly, a gigantic war machine rushes up from deep inside the Olmec underground temple.

Episode 36 - Aerial Pursuit

Release Date: 1983-05-17

Esteban flies the Golden Condor against the terrible Olmec war machine, to try to rescue Zia. Tao and Esteban manage to leap onto the machine in mid-air, and Zia is saved. But Tao is left behind, a prisoner.

Episode 37 - The City of Gold

Release Date: 1983-05-24

With Tao as a hostage, the Olmecs force Esteban and Zia to use their medallions to open the doors to the City of Gold.

Episode 38 - The Great Legacy

Release Date: 1983-05-31

After wounding the High Priest of the Cities of Gold, Kalmec steals the Great Treasure, a concentrated source of the sun's power also called the Sun Power Unit. However, the security systems of the City are activated and destroy the Olmecs' flying machine. Kalmec and Menator make their way back to their base, taking the Great Treasure with them.

Episode 39 - End of the City of Gold

Release Date: 1983-06-07

The Olmecs place the Sun Power Unit at the bottom of their sunlight collecting crystal and activate it. However, the unit does not behave as expected and the Sun Power Unit begins to overheat. The High Priest of the Cities of Gold, who turns out to be Esteban's father, tries to shut it down using Tao's jar which is actually a control unit. But he could be too late.