Vasco Nuñez de Balboa - Spanish Explorer

​Vasco Nuñez de Balboa

By Tiffany Jarrett

• Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer

• He lived over 500 years ago

• Explorers traveled to new lands to learn about them

• Balboa is remembered for finding a new ocean

​

Who was Vasco Nuñez de Balboa?

• Balboa wanted to find riches like gold

• He wanted to discover new lands

• He was searching for a new ocean

• Many explorers hoped to become famous​

Why did Balboa explore?

• Thick jungles

• Hot weather and bugs

• Not enough food

• Long, hard journeys on foot

​

Obstacles he faced

Dropdown

European explorers faced many difficulties and challenges, such as no maps or thick jungles. These "challenges" made their job hard to do. We call these difficulties or challenges

Select answer

.

• Native people told Balboa about a huge ocean

• Balboa crossed mountains and jungles

• In 1513, he saw the Pacific Ocean

• This was the first time a European explorer saw it from the Americas

​

Balboa's Big Discovery

Find the Pacific Ocean on this map.

​Balboa was the first European explorer to see and claim this land for Spain.

Balboa's Discovery

Home

Open in new tab

Copy link

Vocabulary!

Explorer
A person who travels to new places to learn about them.

Obstacle
Something that makes a job hard to do.

Riches
Things like gold, money, or valuable items.

Jungle
A thick forest with many trees, plants, and animals.

Determination
Not giving up, even when something is hard.

Pacific Ocean
The largest ocean on Earth, west of North and South America.

Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer who lived more than 500 years ago. Like many explorers of his time, Balboa dreamed of finding new lands and great riches. He also hoped to find a new ocean that no European had seen before.

Before becoming famous, Balboa tried many jobs. One surprising fact is that he once tried pig farming! Balboa hoped raising pigs would make him rich, but it did not work out. He lost money instead. Because of his money problems, Balboa decided to leave Spain and start over in the New World.

Balboa traveled to the land we now call Central America. Life there was very hard. The jungle was hot and thick, and it was full of bugs and wild animals. Food was hard to find, and people often became sick. These were some of the big obstacles Balboa faced as an explorer.

Fill in the Blanks

Balboa also faced danger from unfriendly groups and from other Spanish explorers who wanted power. Still, Balboa did not give up. He listened to stories from Native people who spoke of a great ocean on the other side of the land. Balboa wanted to be the first to find it.

In 1513, Balboa led a difficult journey across mountains and jungles. After many days of walking, he reached the top of a hill. From there, he saw a huge body of water—the Pacific Ocean! Balboa had reached the ocean he was searching for.

Balboa’s journey shows that explorers faced many challenges, but curiosity and determination helped them keep going—even after failed pig farms!

Multiple Choice

Which word from the passage shows that Balboa did not give up easily?

• listened

• difficult

• curiosity

• determination

Match

Match the vocabulary word with the definition.

• a person who travels to new places to learn about them

• a thick forest with many trees, plants, and animals

• not giving up even when it is hard

• the largest ocean on Earth

• something that makes a job hard to do

explorer

jungle

determination

Pacific Ocean

obstacle

• explorer

• jungle

• determination

• Pacific Ocean

• obstacle

Categorize

Options (9)

thick jungles

mountains

crossing rivers

wild animals

hot weather

seeing the Pacific Ocean

lack of food

sickness

claiming an ocean and new land for Spain

What were some of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa's obstacles and accomplishments?

obstacles

accomplishments

Hotspot

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was the first European explorer to see the Pacific Ocean and he claimed that and the surrounding land for Spain. Identify this ocean on the map.