Zacatollan

Zacatollan, later called Zacatula, lay near the mouth of the Balsas River on the Pacific coast. The surrounding province attracted Spanish interest soon after the conquest of central Mexico, both for its mineral wealth and for its access to the ocean. The river mouth became one of the earliest centres of Spanish shipbuilding on the American Pacific coast.

In 1523 the Spaniards founded the villa of La Concepción de Zacatula and began operating a shipyard there. Hernán Cortés used the port to prepare vessels for exploration of the South Sea. The ships of Álvaro de Saavedra’s expedition departed from Zacatula and called at Zihuatanejo for provisions before crossing the Pacific. Zacatula’s distance from the colonial capital, however, encouraged the search for more conveniently placed harbours.