In 1526, Francisco de Montejo was charged with the conquest of the Yucatán Peninsula and Cozumel. In October, 1527 he landed on the coast of Ekab in an area where the Maya proved friendly, even helping the Spaniards build some palm-thatched huts. The settlement they founded was called Salamanca de Xel-Há and it proved shortlived; the Spaniards were decimated by the tropical diseases prevalent in the area.
Montejo was soon back on the Peninsula, this time making a foray from the port of Campeche towards the north while his son Francisco de Montejo alias 'El Mozo' stayed in Campeche and Alonso Davila took an overland route through Quintana Roo in search of gold. Davila's 1531 journey took him to Tulmó and then on to southern Quintana Roo. The gold proved elusive, the area dangerous, and when he reached Chetemal all he found were ruins. The Maya had torched the city before fleeing into the jungle. In this desolate spot he founded a settlement called Villa Real. The Indians were dauntless and, after a year and a half of raids, Davila and his men had to retreat.
Several years passed and when the Spaniards returned to the Yucatán they found an Indian population debilitated by disease and droughts and split into two rival camps. This made things easier for Gaspar and Melchor Pacheco who were ordered to conquer Quintana Roo. In 1544, they left Mérida and savagely fought their way to Bacalar where they founded Salamanca de Bacalar. However, the desolation and dire poverty of the site was a deterrent to potential colonists and many returned to Mérida.
© 2004 Editorial Veras. La guía Oficial del Caribe Mexicano.