Florida's lower gulf coast was a key region in the early European exploration of North America, with an extraordinary amount of first-time interactions between Spaniards and Florida's indigenous cultures. Discovering Florida compiles all the major writings of Spanish explorers in the area between 1513 and 1566. Including transcriptions of the original Spanish documents as well as English translations, this volume presents-in their own words-the experiences and reactions of Spaniards who came to Florida with Juan Ponce de Leo n, Pa nfilo de Narva ez, Hernando de Soto, and Pedro Mene ndez de Avile