Puna

Puná is a large island in the Gulf of Guayaquil, set between the open Pacific and the estuary of the Guayas. Its inhabitants navigated the waters of the gulf and maintained their own political authority under local rulers. The island stood at a point of contact between coastal peoples and the lands farther south, guarding the approaches to the great estuary.

In 1531 Francisco Pizarro and his expedition came to Puná on their way towards Peru. Relations with the islanders broke down, and fighting followed between the Spaniards and the people led by their chief Tumbalá. The encounter formed part of the first violent confrontation between the Spanish invaders and the peoples of the Gulf of Guayaquil, before the conquest moved onward to the Inca heartland.