Athena Review Image Archive ™
Map of the Voyage of Córdoba (1517)
Course of the voyage of Córdoba (Athena Review Image Archive)
Three
Spanish caravels led by Francisco Fernandez de Córdoba left Santiago de
Cuba on February 8, 1517, sailed along the north coast of Cuba, and
crossed to Yucatán. This was the first Spanish expedition to
reach the mainland of Mexico, and the firsthand account of the voyage
by a crew member, Bernal Díaz de Castillo, is of primary interest.
Bernal Díaz later joined the expedition of Cortes in 1519,
and would become the main chronicler of the campaign against the Aztecs.
After
brief stops at Cabo Catoche, Campeche, and Champotón, the Spaniards in
the Córdoba expedition suffered major losses in battles with
coastal Mayans, and eventually returned to Cuba via the south coast of
Florida.
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