Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa is famous for being the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
In Part 1 of our podcast on Balboa, he begins his journey as a stowaway on a ship to the province of Tierre Firme.
In short order, he will establish the first permanent European colony in the Americas and kick start the seemingly insatiable Spanish quest for gold in the new lands.
Balboa’s journeys were centered primarily in the region of what is modern-day Columbia and Panama. Below is a map showing off several key locations, such as the colony of Santa Maria, and the route Balboa would take to the Pacific Ocean.
Note: the Gulf of Uraba is located just east of Santa Maria on the map (it is not marked).
