Conquistadors, Cannibals, and Cartographers in Yucatan
Discover the captivating tales of Spanish explorers who ventured into the uncharted territories of Florida, Yucatán, and Mexico, seeking gold, eternal youth, and new lands. Learn about their daring expeditions, encounters with indigenous civilizations, and the lasting impact of their discoveries.
The golden age of exploration was filled with tales of adventure, ambition, and the occasional odd detour in pursuit of myths. While the grand continental expeditions focused on unraveling the larger mysteries of the New World—searching for straits that would allow access to the fabled riches of the East—there was a simultaneous flourishing of exploration in the more intimate confines of the circum-Caribbean area. The tropical islands and nearby coasts, lying temptingly close to European-held territories, began to draw a new kind of attention.
As the great continental journeys led nowhere particularly enticing (save Magellan’s passage in 1519), rumors from the heart of the Caribbean grew in weight and significance. The existence of a magical island, Bimini, with a fountain whose waters conferred eternal youth, sparked the imagination of explorers. What would later be dismissed as a mere myth carried enough gravitas to change the course of history, ushering in one of the quirkiest quests of the early colonial period.
