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Vasco Núñez de Balboa

By: History.com Editors

Updated: August 14, 2023 | Original: December 18, 2009

The 16th-century Spanish conquistador and explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa helped establish the first stable settlement on the South American continent at Darién, on the coast of the Isthmus of Panama.

In 1513, while leading an expedition in search of gold, he sighted the Pacific Ocean. Balboa claimed the ocean and all of its shores for Spain, opening the way for later Spanish exploration and conquest along the western coast of South America. Balboa’s achievement and ambition posed a threat to Pedro Arias Dávila, the Spanish governor of Darién, who falsely accused him of treason and had him executed in early 1519.

Early Life and Career 

Balboa was born in 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros, a town in the impoverished Extremadura region of Spain. His father was believed to be a nobleman, but the family was not wealthy; like many of his class, Balboa decided to seek his fortune in the New World.

Around 1500, he joined Spanish explorers on an expedition the coast of present-day Colombia, then returned to the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and sought to make his living as a farmer. After falling into debt, he fled his creditors by stowing away on an expedition carrying supplies to the colony of San Sebastian, located on the coast of Urabá (now Colombia), in 1510.

Did you know? The Spanish region of Extremadura, where Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born, was home to many other famous New World conquistadors, including Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto and Francisco de Orellana.

The colony had been largely abandoned by the time they arrived, after local Native Americans killed many of the colonists. At Balboa’s suggestion, they decided to move to the western side of the Gulf of Urabá, on the coast of the Isthmus of Panama, the small strip of land connecting Central and South America.

In that region, the local Indians were more peaceful, and the new colony, Darién, would become the first stable Spanish settlement on the South American continent.

Balboa Sees the Pacific

By 1511, Balboa was acting as interim governor of Darién. Under his authority, the Spaniards dealt harshly with native inhabitants of the region in order to get gold and other riches; from some of these Indians, they learned that a wealthy empire lay to the south (possibly a reference to the Inca ).

In September 1513, Balboa led an expedition of some 190 Spaniards and a number of Indians southward across the Isthmus of Panama. Late that same month, Balboa climbed a mountain peak and sighted the Pacific Ocean, which the Spaniards called the Mar del Sur (South Sea).

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Balboa, King Ferdinand II had appointed the elderly nobleman Pedro Arias Dávila (usually called Pedrarias) as the new governor of Darién.

As a reward for his explorations, Balboa was named governor of the provinces of Panama and Coiba, but remained under the authority of Pedrarias, who arrived in Darién in mid-1514, soon after Balboa returned.

Balboa’s Later Explorations and Downfall

Though suspicious of each other, the two men reached a precarious peace, and Pedrarias even betrothed his daughter María (in Spain) to Balboa by proxy. He also reluctantly gave him permission to mount another expedition to explore and conquer the Mar del Sur and its surrounding lands.

Balboa began these explorations in 1517-18, after having a fleet of ships painstakingly built and transported in pieces over the mountains to the Pacific.

Balboa Beheaded

Meanwhile, Pedrarias’ many enemies had convinced King Ferdinand to send a replacement for him from Spain and order a judicial inquiry into his conduct as leader of Darién.

Suspecting Balboa would speak against him, and fearing his influence and popularity, Pedrarias summoned the explorer home and had him arrested and tried for rebellion and high treason, among other charges.

In the highly biased trial that ensued, presided over by Pedrarias’ ally Gaspar de Espinosa, Balboa was found guilty and condemned to death. He was beheaded, along with four alleged accomplices, in 1519.

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Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

(1475-1519)

Who Was Vasco Núñez de Balboa?

Explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa helped establish the town of Darién on the Isthmus of Panama, becoming interim governor. In 1513, he led the first European expedition to the Pacific Ocean, but news of the discovery arrived after the king had sent Pedro Arias de Ávila to serve as the new governor of Darién. Ávila, reportedly jealous of Balboa, had him beheaded for treason in 1519.

Early Life and Exploration

Born in 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros, in the province of Extremadura in Castile, Spain, Balboa went on to become the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

At a time when many people in Spain were seeking their fortunes in the New World, Balboa joined an expedition to South America. After exploring the coast of present-day Colombia, Balboa stayed on the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). While there, he got into debt and fled, hiding away on a ship headed for the fledgling colony of San Sebastian.

Once he arrived at the settlement, Balboa discovered that most of the colonists had been killed by nearby ingenious people. He then convinced the remaining colonists to move to the western side of the Gulf of Uraba. They established the town of Darién on the Isthmus of Panama, which is a small strip of land that connects Central America and South America. Balboa became the interim governor of the settlement.

Seeing the Pacific Ocean

In 1513, Balboa led an expedition from Darién to search for a new sea reportedly to the south and for gold. He hoped that if he was successful, he would win the favor of Ferdinand, the king of Spain. While he didn't find the precious metal, he did see the Pacific Ocean and claimed it and all of its shores for Spain.

The news of the discovery arrived after the king had sent Pedro Arias de Ávila to serve as the new governor of Darién. The new governor was reportedly jealous of Balboa and ordered him to be arrested on charges of treason. After a brief trial, Balboa was beheaded on January 12, 1519, in Acla, near Darién, Panama.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Vasco Núñez de Balboa
• Birth Year: 1475
• Birth City: Jerez de los Caballeros, Extremadura, Castile
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1519
• Death date: January 12, 1519
• Death City: Acla, near Darién
• Death Country: Panama

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Biography of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Conquistador and Explorer

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Back to the Darien

Santa maría la antigua del darién, expedition to the south, pedrarías dávila, vasco and pedrarías.

• Ph.D., Spanish, Ohio State University
• M.A., Spanish, University of Montana
• B.A., Spanish, Penn State University

Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519) was a Spanish conquistador, explorer, and administrator. He is best known for leading the first European expedition to sight the Pacific Ocean , or the "South Sea" as he referred to it. He is still remembered and venerated in Panama as a heroic explorer.

Fast Facts: Vasco Núñez de Balboa

• Known For : First European sighting of the Pacific Ocean and colonial governance in what is now Panama
• Born : 1475 in Jeréz de los Caballeros, Extremadura province, Castile
• Parents : Differing historical accounts of parents' names: his family was noble but no longer wealthy
• Spouse : María de Peñalosa
• Died : January 1519 in Acla, near present-day Darién, Panama

Nuñez de Balboa was born into a noble family that was no longer wealthy. His father and mother were both of noble blood in Badajoz, Spain and Vasco was born in Jeréz de los Caballeros in 1475. Although noble, Balboa could not hope for much in the way of even a meager inheritance, as he was the third of four sons. All titles and lands were passed to the eldest; younger sons generally went into the military or clergy. Balboa opted for the military, spending time as a page and squire at the local court.

By 1500, word had spread all over Spain and Europe of the wonders of the New World and the fortunes being made there. Young and ambitious, Balboa joined the expedition of Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1500. The expedition was mildly successful in raiding the northeastern coast of South America. In 1502, Balboa landed in Hispaniola with enough money to set himself up with a small pig farm. He was not a very good farmer, however, and by 1509 he was forced to flee his creditors in Santo Domingo .

Balboa stowed away (with his dog) on a ship commanded by Martín Fernández de Enciso, who was heading to the recently-founded town of San Sebastián de Urabá with supplies. He was quickly discovered and Enciso threatened to maroon him, but the charismatic Balboa talked him out of it. When they reached San Sebastián they found that natives had destroyed it. Balboa convinced Enciso and the survivors of San Sebastián (led by Francisco Pizarro ) to try again and establish a town, this time in the Darién—a region of dense jungle between present-day Colombia and Panama.

The Spaniards landed in the Darién and were quickly beset by a large force of natives under the command of Cémaco, a local chieftain. Despite the overwhelming odds, the Spanish prevailed and founded the city of Santa María la Antigua de Darién on the site of Cémaco's old village. Enciso, as ranking officer, was put in charge but the men detested him. Clever and charismatic, Balboa rallied the men behind him and removed Enciso by arguing that the region was not part of the royal charter of Alonso de Ojeda, Enciso's master. Balboa was one of two men quickly elected to serve as mayors of the city.

Balboa's stratagem of removing Enciso backfired in 1511. It was true that Alonso de Ojeda (and therefore, Enciso) had no legal authority over Santa María, which had been founded in an area referred to as Veragua. Veragua was the domain of Diego de Nicuesa, a somewhat unstable Spanish nobleman who had not been heard from in some time. Nicuesa was discovered in the north with a handful of bedraggled survivors from an earlier expedition, and he decided to claim Santa María for his own. The colonists preferred Balboa, however, and Nicuesa was not even allowed to go ashore: Indignant, he set sail for Hispaniola but was never heard from again.

Balboa was effectively in charge of Veragua at this point and the crown reluctantly decided to simply recognize him as governor. Once his position was official, Balboa quickly began organizing expeditions to explore the region. The local tribes of indigenous natives were not united and were powerless to resist the Spanish, who were better armed and disciplined. The colonizers collected much gold and pearls through their military power, which in turn drew more men to the settlement. They began hearing rumors of a great sea and a rich kingdom to the south.

The narrow strip of land which is Panama and the northern tip of Colombia runs east to west, not north to south as some might suppose. Therefore, when Balboa, along with about 190 Spaniards and a handful of natives, decided to search for this sea in 1513, they headed mostly south, not west. They fought their way through the isthmus, leaving many wounded behind with friendly or conquered chieftains. On September 25, Balboa and a handful of battered Spaniards (Francisco Pizarro was among them) first saw the Pacific Ocean, which they named the “South Sea.” Balboa waded into the water and claimed the sea for Spain.

The Spanish crown, still with some lingering doubt over whether or not Balboa had correctly handled Enciso, sent a massive fleet to Veragua (now named Castilla de Oro) under the command of veteran soldier Pedrarías Dávila. Fifteen hundred men and women flooded the tiny settlement. Dávila had been named governor to replace Balboa, who accepted the change with good humor, although the colonists still preferred him to Dávila. Dávila proved to be a poor administrator and hundreds of settlers died, mostly those who had sailed with him from Spain. Balboa tried to recruit some men to explore the South Sea without Dávila knowing, but he was found out and arrested.

Santa María had two leaders: officially, Dávila was governor, but Balboa was more popular. They continued to clash until 1517 when it was arranged for Balboa to marry one of Dávila’s daughters. Balboa married María de Peñalosa despite an obstacle: she was in a convent in Spain at the time and they had to marry by proxy. In fact, she never left the convent. Before long, the rivalry flared up again. Balboa left Santa María for the small town of Aclo with 300 of those who still preferred his leadership to that of Dávila. He was successful in establishing a settlement and building some ships.

Fearing the charismatic Balboa as a potential rival, Dávila decided to get rid of him once and for all. Balboa was arrested by a squad of soldiers led by Francisco Pizarro as he made preparations to explore the Pacific coast of northern South America. He was hauled back to Aclo in chains and quickly tried for treason against the crown: The charge was that he had tried to establish his own independent fiefdom of the South Sea, independent from that of Dávila. Enraged, Balboa shouted out that he was a loyal servant of the crown, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He was beheaded in January of 1519 along with four of his companions (there are conflicting accounts of the exact date of the execution).

Without Balboa, the colony of Santa María quickly failed. Where he had cultivated positive ties with local natives for trade, Dávila enslaved them, resulting in short-term economic profit but long-term disaster for the colony. In 1519, Dávila forcibly moved all of the settlers to the Pacific side of the isthmus, founding Panama City, and by 1524 Santa María had been razed by angry natives.

The legacy of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa is brighter than that of many of his contemporaries. While many  conquistadors , such as  Pedro de Alvarado ,  Hernán Cortés , and  Pánfilo de Narvaez  are today remembered for cruelty, exploitation, and inhuman treatment of natives, Balboa is remembered as an explorer, fair administrator, and popular governor who made his settlements work.

As for relations with natives, Balboa was guilty of his share of atrocities, including enslavement and setting his dogs on homosexual men in one village. In general, however, he is thought to have dealt with his native allies well, treating them with respect and friendship which translated into beneficial trade and food for his settlements.

Although he and his men were the first to see the Pacific Ocean while heading west from the New World, it would be  Ferdinand Magellan  who would get the credit for naming it when he rounded the southern tip of South America in 1520.

Balboa is best remembered in Panama, where many streets, businesses, and parks bear his name. There is a stately monument in his honor in Panama City (a district of which bears his name) and the national currency is called the Balboa. There is even a lunar crater named after him.

• Editors, History.com. “ Vasco Núñez De Balboa .”  History.com , A&E Television Networks, 18 Dec. 2009.
• Thomas, Hugh.  Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan.  Random House, 2005.
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Vasco Nunez de Balboa

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. Short Biography of the life of Vasco Nunez de Balboa - Spanish Conquistador and Explorer

The following biography information provides basic facts about the life Vasco Nunez de Balboa:

• Nationality - Spanish
• Lifespan - 1475 - 1519
• Family - Poor Spanish family
• Education - Uneducated

The Ages of Exploration

Vasco nunez de balboa.

Quick Facts:

A portrait of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa (New York, Harper, 1906.) (Credit: Ober, Frederick A.)

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Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Born in or near the year 1457, the Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa was the first European to see the eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean. He sighted the ocean in 1513 from a mountaintop in what is now Panama. Upon reaching the shore, Balboa waded into the ocean and claimed it and all its shores for Spain.

Balboa was born in Jerez de los Caballeros, Mexico. As a young boy, Balboa had two dreams: to be a famous explorer and to be an Olympic fencing champion. His Olympic dream never materialized, but his ability with the sword was to serve him well in battles throughout his career.

Following the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492, Balboa joined an expedition to South America in 1501. One year later Balboa found himself on the island of Hispaniola trying without success to make a living as a pig farmer. It seems that the native Indian population worshipped the pig as a god and neither they nor the Spanish settlers would eat an animal thought to be a god, no matter how tasty.

The Voyages of Vasco Nunez de Balboa (Click to enlarge)

Several years later, in 1510, Balboa enjoyed a change in fortune when he became acting governor of Darien. From there he led expeditions into Panama, conquering some Indians while allowing other, more friendly, Indians to open gambling casinos. In 1511 friendly Indians told Balboa of a land called Tubanama where he could find much gold. The Indians told him this land was located across the mountains near a great sea.

Hoping to please King Ferdinand of Spain with an exciting discovery, in early September 1513, Balboa led an expedition from Darien. The Panama Canal was temporarily closed due to a strike by native workers, so Balboa and his 190 Spanish followers were forced to take the difficult land route. After a three week journey, during which the expedition lost all radio contact with their home base, Balboa found the great sea he had longed to see: the Pacific Ocean!

Sadly, Balboa was to live only a few more years. A jealous rival falsely accused Balboa of treason to the king, and in January 1519, he was tried and sentenced to death. He was publicly beheaded in the town of Acla in Panama, which he had established only a year earlier. Fortunately, Balboa’s children were not left penniless because they were able to sell their father’s game-used armor, the same armor that their famous father wore when he waded into the Pacific Ocean, on eBay.com for a tidy sum.

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This page last updated on Apr 11, 2017

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Balboa and the Discovery of the Southern Ocean

Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475 – 1519)

On September 25, 1513, Spanish conquistador and explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa  discovered the legendary Southern Ocean, having crossed the Isthmus of Panama facing the Pacific Ocean.

Núñez de Balboa – Early Years

Núñez de Balboa came from an impoverished Galician noble family. Like many adventurers, news of the land discovered by Columbus in 1492, with its wealth of gold, prompted him to make the journey to the New World. In 1500, as a simple sailor, he participated in the expedition of Rodrigo de Bastidas to explore the Colombian and the northern coast of the Strait of Panama. He then settled in Hispaniola (Haiti) in 1501 as a pioneer farmer. There he raised pigs, but he did not come to wealth. Like many others, he spent his money in speakeasies and ran up debts.

On Expedition as a Stowaway

In 1510, Núñez de Balboa had so many debts that he decided to flee the island. At that time, a lawyer named Martín Fernández de Enciso equipped a ship to establish a settlement on the north coast of Urabá (Colombia) and exploit the lands there. Núñez de Balboa sensed a favorable opportunity to escape his creditors. Since the ship was heavily guarded by Enciso, Balboa hid in an empty provisions crate and had friends carry him aboard. Only after the ship had been at sea for two days and he knew that they would not turn back because of him, did the stowaway reveal himself. Enciso was initially very angry and wanted to abandon Núñez de Balboa on the nearest beach. But before this could happen, they encountered another Spanish ship led by Francisco Pizarro . The crew reported that they were the last survivors of a settlement whose inhabitants had been killed by the swamp climate and poison darts from the indigenous population. Now the Enciso crew did not want to continue. Núñez de Balboa explained that he knew the entire coast of Central America and remembered that at that time he had found a place called Darién on the banks of a gold-bearing river where there were friendly inhabitants. The crew followed his suggestion to go to this place. Enciso was deposed as leader; Núñez de Balboa became the expedition leader and captain general. Once at the destination, Balboa founded what was possibly the first permanent settlement of the Spaniards in continental America: Santa María la Antigua del Darién .

Governor of Darién

In December 1510, Balboa was appointed governor of Darién by King Ferdinand V of Spain . Enciso, however, was on his way to Spain in the meantime to bring charges against Balboa for his mutiny. In 1511, Núñez de Balboa undertook an expedition into the interior. In his search for gold, many Indians were killed and robbed. One day he met the chief Careta, who suggested that he form an alliance with his tribe instead of making enemies of the natives. Balboa accepted the offer and married the chief’s daughter. Together with Careta, he then subjugated the Indian tribes in the neighborhood. In 1513, the most powerful chief in the area, Comagre, heard about this. He invited Balboa and his companions to his spacious house. Without being asked, he gave his guests 4000 ounces of gold. No sooner had he distributed the gift than his guests went at each other with swords and fists, for each wanted to secure his share. Comagre was very surprised about this behavior, because for him gold was an ordinary metal. He told his guests about a mighty lake behind the mountains and that all the rivers flowing into this lake carried gold. There was as much gold there as one desired. But it was a dangerous way. Núñez de Balboa heard this with much interest. At last there seemed to be a trace of the fabulous gold country of which he and others had dreamed for years. But the great lake also seemed very interesting to him. For many still believed that Columbus had reached Asia. But the doubts about it had become stronger and stronger. The lake could be the proof that Columbus had discovered a new part of the world.

Crossing Panama

Balboa wrote to the Spanish king requesting a force of a thousand men to discover the new sea and finally gain the gold land that Columbus had found and promised in vain that he, Núñez de Balboa, would conquer. Even before this news reached the king, Núñez de Balboa received word that a court person from Spain was on his way to try him for mutiny or return him in chains to Spain. Now Núñez de Balboa did not want to wait for the requested thousand men from Spain. He called his men together and declared his intention to cross the isthmus of Panama. His courage carried over to the others. 190 soldiers agreed to follow him. Among them was Francisco Pizarro.

On September 1, 1513, the march began. Together with hundreds of Indians as porters and numerous bloodhounds, they set out. Balboa, however, had not chosen the shortest route due to ignorance, thus prolonging the dangerous journey by several days. From the beginning, they had to make their way through the jungle with sword and axe. Again and again they were attacked by locals. In addition, there was the heat, hurricane-like downpours and millions of mosquitoes. The path went through swamps with alligators and snakes. The ground was littered with ticks, scorpions, centipedes and ants. Rivers were crossed on homemade rafts.

Balboa’s travel route to the South Sea, 1513, image: No machine-readable author provided. Taichi assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

Many soldiers became sick and weak. Núñez de Balboa ordered that all who were sick with fever and weak should stay behind. Once, when the expedition had to go back a bit because of a rock wall, only a few remains covered with ants were found of the sick people left behind. After seeing this, more sick people were killed immediately to spare them this gruesome torture. After three weeks, only 69 of the 190 soldiers were still alive. Then they arrived at the mountain from whose summit the great lake was to be seen. Núñez de Balboa ordered the team to stop. No one was to follow him, because he did not want to share this first view of the unknown ocean, but to have been for eternity the first Spaniard, the first European and the first Christian to see the new ocean. On September 25, 1513, in the morning at eleven o’clock, he was finally the first European to see the Pacific Ocean — or more precisely the Gulf of San Migue l, a bay of the Gulf of Panama – from the American continent, and was thus possibly the first to discover the continental characteristic of America, although it had already been postulated a few years earlier by Amerigo Vespucci ,[ 5 ] who, through accurate observations, had established distinct peculiarities of the fauna and flora of America.

After looking at the sea for a long time, he called his comrades to share his joy and pride. Four days later, Núñez de Balboa took a few steps into the sea at the mouth of the Saban River and, finding salty world sea water, took possession of the “southern sea” (mar del sur) for his king. The Spaniards found gold and pearls on the coast. All the bags and sacks were stuffed with these precious items and they set off on their return journey. A native told Núñez de Balboa about another land called Birù in the south with immense treasures, the first news about the Inca Empire in Peru. This gave Balboa a target for further conquest. But first he had to return to Darién with the few survivors. Núñez, himself near death, arrived back in Darién on January 19, 1514.

Image of the execution of Balboa in Vasco Nuñez de Balboa by Frederick A. Ober (1906)

Imprisonment and Death

Again he asked the Spanish king for a force of 1000 men for the conquest of Peru , but this did not happen. Due to intrigues at the Spanish court, he was replaced as governor of Darién by the Spanish soldier (and his later father-in-law) Pedrarias Dávila. The Spanish king heard of Núñez de Balboa’s discoveries and appointed him captain general of the provinces of Coiba and Panama and governor of the South Seas in July 1515. Núñez de Balboa subsequently made several more discoveries along the coast of Panama. But the relationship with his father-in-law Pedro Arias Dávila, described as cruel and greedy for money, became worse and worse. Finally, Dávila had him arrested for an alleged conspiracy. Without charge and without the possibility of defense, Núñez de Balboa was beheaded together with four friends in the town of Acla in Panama in January 1519

References and Further Reading:

• [1]  Balboa at All About Explorers
• [2]  The Discovery Of The Pacific By Balboa
• [3]  Balboa at Heritage History
• [4]  Biografía de Vasco Núñez de Balboa ,  Historia del Nuevo Mundo  @ youtube
• [5]  Amerigo Vespucci and the New World , SciHi Blog
• [6] Stefan Zweig:   Sternstunden der Menschheit. Flucht in die Unsterblichkeit   im   Projekt Gutenberg-DE
• [7]  Spate, O.H.K. (2020).  “ ‘South Sea’ to ‘Pacific Ocean: A Note on Nomenclature” . In Ballantyne, Tony (ed.).  Science, Empire and the European Exploration of the Pacific . Routledge. p. 38.
• [8] Asenjo García, Frutos (1991).   Vasco Núñez de Balboa: El descubrimiento del Mar del Sur . Madrid: Sílex Ediciones.
• [9]  Compendio de Historia de Panamá  . pp. 156–171. Juan B. Sosa y Enrique J. Arce. Panamá, October, 1911
• [10]  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913).   “Vasco Nuñez de Balboa”  .   Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• [11] Vasco Núñez de Balboa at Wikidata
• [12] Timeline of Spanish Conquistadors , via Wikidata and DBpedia

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Vasco Nunez de Balboa Facts and Story

Published: May 31, 2012 · Modified: Nov 11, 2023 by Russell Yost · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Vasco Nunez de Balboa  (c. 1475 – around January 12–21, 1519) was a  Spanish Conquistador and governor. He is known for being the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean on a mission to try and find a spice trade route to Asia.

Balboa also accomplished founding the first permanent settlement on the mainland of the New World. His successes were cut short by his own ambitions and those of others as he was wrongfully accused and sentenced to death. Francisco Pizarro , the conquistador who conquered the Incas, oversaw his execution.

Santa Maria

Death and legacy.

Balboa was born in Spain around 1475. His family was of wealthy descent, which gave him privileges that many others did not have. He was well-educated, and he served as a page and squire to Don Pedro de Portocarrero. When he was 17 years old, Christopher Columbus set sail to find a route to the East. He believed that by sailing west, he would run into Asia, but Columbus had grossly miscalculated the size of the world and accidentally discovered a New World that he died believing to be India.  Balboa grew up hearing these stories and was then convinced to sail to the New World in 1500 on Rodrigo de Bastidas' expedition. By the end of the expedition, Vasco de Nunez Balboa settled in Hispaniola and lived the life of a planter and pig farmer. This vocation was not successful for him, and he landed himself in debt.

To avoid his creditors, Balboa escaped to Santo Domingo by hiding in a barrel together with his dog in order to board a ship. Before the expedition arrived at San Sebastian de Uraba, Balboa was discovered aboard the ship and was threatened by Fernandez de Enciso to be left at the first desolate island they came across. Balboa was able to convince Enciso to allow to to stay aboard due to his knowledge of the region. This expedition would be the first time that Vasco de Nunez Balboa met Francisco Pizarro .

During this expedition, Balboa had gained a positive reputation. He was charismatic and showed great leadership ability. He displayed a keen sense of the region, which enabled the Spanish to move efficiently. He became extremely popular with the crew, but the commanding officer, Enciso, was disliked after a series of blunders that left many doubting his ability to command.

After finding the settlement of San Sebastian in utter ruin, Balboa suggested that the settlement be moved to a different region, the region of Darien. He believed that Darien offered more fertile soil and the natives were not as hostile. Upon arriving in the region of Darien, they found the natives waiting for them. Apparently, the natives were hostile, and a battle was fought between the natives and the Spanish. The Spanish were vastly outnumbered, but the natives had inferior technology. After a tough battle, the Spanish won an important victory. Balboa then established the first permanent settlement on the mainland of the New World and named it Santa Maria.

After the victory against the natives, Balboa's thoughts about the Darien region were proven correct. The natives of the area were relatively calm compared to the settlement of San Sebastian, and the land was fertile. This, coupled with his charisma, caused much of the crew to push for him to become Mayor of Santa Maria.  The crew began to mutiny against the commanding officer Fernandez de Enciso, and the ambitious Balboa took advantage of it by removing Enciso. Balboa and Martin Samudio were appointed in the first election of the Americas as the municipal council of Santa Maria.  After being elected to the municipal council, Balboa would become Governor of Veragua.

As Governor Balboa put Fernandez de Enciso on trial, stripped him of all his possessions, and sent him back to Hispaniola. With Enciso out of the picture, Balboa began to expedite the territories and quickly learned of another sea. He then organized an expedition to explore the isthmus of Panama in search of the South Sea and a quest for more riches. Balboa was sent for aid from Spain, but at this point, many had turned against him due to his actions against Enciso. Balboa decided to journey there on his own with a small amount of men. Through some hardships, Balboa reached the South Sea, thus discovering a new ocean that would later be named the Pacific Ocean due to its passive nature.

The discovery of the South Sea was an important discovery for the Spanish Empire:

• It confirmed the discovery of a New World. Even though the idea that Christopher Columbus had actually sailed to Asia was beginning to fade, the discovery of the Pacific Ocean allowed future explorers to plan their voyages differently.
• The Spanish could now prepare to establish a trade route to Asia that had been monopolized by the Portuguese up until this time.

Balboa's main mission was not to discover the Pacific Ocean but rather to find wealth in precious metals. He did so by ransacking any of the native peoples he came across. When he returned to Veragua, he returned a much wealthier man. Even so, he followed the law of Spain and sent the appropriate portion back to the Spanish Crown, along with news of his discovery.

The story of Vasco de Nunez Balboa ended tragically. After making major discoveries and successfully leading economic reforms that increased the wealth of the colonies that he oversaw, he was always in constant conflict with inferior minds but with greater last names. He married the daughter of Predrarias, one of his rivals, and seemed to become close to him. Pedrarias gave Balboa permission to continue his expeditions of the South Sea, but while on an expedition, Balboa received a series of kind letters from Pedrarias asking him to come home immediately. Balboa, suspecting nothing, quickly obeyed. While returning, he was confronted by Francisco Pizarro and accused of trying to usurp Pedrarias' power. Balboa denied all charges and requested a trial in Spain, but Pedrarias and Martin Enciso quickly tried him in the New World. Balboa was found guilty and sentenced to beheading, which was carried out immediately.

Balboa was one of the greatest minds. He, along with Cortes, were more than just Conquistadors as they understood how to run a nation. His economic reforms caused a boom in the economy, which allowed him to acquire great wealth. Unfortunately, greed and those jealous of his successes betrayed him.

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Hernán Cortés (1485—1547)

exploration by sea

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Vasco Núñez de Balboa

(1475—1519) Spanish explorer

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(1475–1519),

Spanish explorer. In 1511 Balboa joined an expedition to Darien (in Panama) as a stowaway, but rose to command it after a mutiny. In 1513 he reached the western coast of the isthmus of Darien (Panama), thereby becoming the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

From:   de Balboa, Vasco Núñez   in  The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable »

Subjects: History

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Reference entries, balboa, vasco nuñez de (1475–1519), balboa, vasco núñez de (1475–1519), balboa, vasco núñez de ( c. 1475–1517).

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Balboa, Reaches Pacific Ocean - 1513

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Birth of vasco nunez de balboa.

His first Voyage

Switching Hobbies

Established the city of Darien