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Diego de Valera was born in 1518 in Seville, Spain, into a noble family. As a young man, he grew up in an environment steeped in tales of great maritime explorations. From an early age, Valera developed a passion for navigation and maps, inspired by figures such as Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci. At the age of 18, he joined the Spanish navy, where he learned the art of navigation, ship handling, and cartography techniques.
Valera began his career as an explorer as a first officer, taking part in several expeditions to the Caribbean and the South American coast. During this period, he developed considerable expertise in navigating Atlantic waters. His talent for cartography and his ability to maneuver ships on the high seas earned him a promotion to captain in 1547.
In 1552, under orders from the Spanish crown, Diego de Valera was tasked with finding a new route to Asia, avoiding areas already explored by the Portuguese and Spanish. The idea was to discover a new sea passage that would strengthen Spain's commercial dominance.
Accompanied by a fleet of three ships, Valera embarked on a daring westward voyage. After several months of fruitless sailing and unpredictable weather conditions, his fleet was diverted to an isolated and as yet unknown archipelago. This territory, made up of several islands, was named Islas Perdidas by Valera, in reference to its extreme remoteness from the usual sea routes.
Although the archipelago had no visible gold or riches, Valera saw significant strategic potential in it due to its geographical position. He noted in his journals that the land was fertile, fishing was abundant, and some of the islands were inhabited by indigenous people, although contact with them had been limited and peaceful.
Bien que son exploration ne génère pas d'intérêt immédiat, les îles finissent par attirer l'attention des colons britanniques au XVIIIe siècle. Valera est reconnu, rétrospectivement, pour sa contribution à la connaissance des îles du Pacifique.
Disappointed by the Spanish crown's lack of interest in his discovery, Valera accepted several missions in the Caribbean. He served as captain of a ship between Cuba and Hispaniola, participating in military operations against pirates and French privateers. In 1570, he retired to Havana, where he spent his final years writing his memoirs and revising his nautical charts.
He died in 1575, at the age of 57, from an illness contracted during a military expedition. His discoveries on the Islas Perdidas archipelago were forgotten for several decades before being rediscovered and colonized by the British in the 18th century, under the name Archipelago of Lochburn.
Although he did not become famous during his lifetime, Diego de Valera is now celebrated as the discoverer of the Grand Utopia of America archipelago. His contribution to maritime exploration is honored through monuments and places named after him in the archipelago, testifying to his importance in the history of this region, particularly in Lochburn City, where he is celebrated as the first European to set foot on the archipelago.
Although the archipelago is now known as the Grand Utopia of America, several old Spanish maps still refer to the islands by their original name, Islas Perdidas.
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Fun fact:
In his chronicles, Diego de Valera recounts a night when, lost in the sea mist, he saw distant, unreal lights shining from the summit of an unknown mountain. Fascinated, he steered his ship toward this enigmatic beacon, unaware that he was setting foot on a land that would make history. This mountain, now identified as Lochburn Mountain, remains shrouded in legend: it is said that the Nokothas performed secret rituals there, lighting fires not for illumination, but to communicate with the spirits that watch over the archipelago.
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