Veragua

Veragua lies on the rain-soaked Caribbean coast of western Panama, where rivers flow down from the central mountains to the sea. Christopher Columbus visited the coast on his fourth voyage in 1502, hearing reports of gold in its rivers. Early in 1503 his men established Santa María de Belén near the mouth of the Belén River. Conflict with the local leader Quibián and his people forced the Spaniards to abandon the settlement within months.