The town was established principally to be the Caribbean anchor of a trail that was planned to lead to a future town on the Gulf of San Miguel on the Pacific Ocean, which had recently been discovered by Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
The town was established with the aim of being a Caribbean anchor in a route intended to connect to a future location in the Gulf of San Miguel on the Pacific Ocean, which had recently been discovered by Vasco Núñez de Balboa.