The Heroic Legacy of Vasco Núñez de Balboa

The rise and fall of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the daring explorer who crossed the jungle, saw the Pacific, and was beheaded by his own empire.

A Glimpse of the Pacific

On Tuesday, September 25, 1513, deep in the Panamanian jungle, an indigenous guide suddenly halted a group of 68 Spaniards. At the head of the group was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his early forties, his noble demeanour masking the hardships of the journey. Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the conquistador leading this expedition, had pushed his men through treacherous terrain, dense jungle, steep mountains, and winding rivers, while fending off hostile indigenous warriors.

Now, the guide gestured excitedly toward a mountain ridge ahead. It was around 10 o’clock in the morning when Balboa gave the order to stop. He ascended the ridge alone, leaving his men behind. At the summit, he stood in awe, gazing for the first time upon the vast expanse of what the Spaniards would call the South Sea, or what we know as the Pacific Ocean.

Balboa looks South upon the Pacific Ocean