Juan Vásquez de Coronado

Who was Juan Vásquez de Coronado?

Juan Vásquez de Coronado y Anaya was a Spanish conquistador, remembered especially for his role in the colonization of Costa Rica, in Central America, where he gained a reputation for fairness, effective administration, and good relationships with the native population. He was a nephew of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján, who explored the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542.

By a decree given at Aranjuez by King Philip II of Spain on April 8, 1565, Juan Vásquez de Coronado was appointed as the first royal governor and first Adelantado of the province of Costa Rica, but his ship disappeared in a storm off the coast of southern Spain while he was on his way to receive his appointments from the monarch. He was married to Isabel, a daughter of Pedro Arias Dávila, the principal conqueror of Panamá. The Vásquez de Coronado Canton, one of the administrative divisions of the Province of San José, in the Republic Costa Rica, was named in his honor.