Who Was Ponce de Leon?

Learn the story of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Le n and how he shaped the history of both Florida and Puerto Rico during the Age of Exploration.

In the early 1500s, Ponce de Leon was was one of the most important Spanish military figures in the Caribbean. He made his first voyage across the Atlantic with Christopher Columbus and then, after years of battle with the native Taino, became the first governor of Puerto Rico. Although the story of his search for the Fountain of Youth is entirely fictional, his noteworthy expedition to - and naming of - Florida is one of his greatest legacies.