Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Núñez (1490?–1557?), a Spanish explorer. He was a leader in the expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez to Florida in 1528. Only Cabeza de Vaca and three others survived. They were shipwrecked on Galveston Island off the coast of Texas and became prisoners of Indians but eventually escaped and reached the Spanish in Mexico. Stories of their adventures led to the legend of the "Seven Cities of Cibola,'' which were said to be rich in gold. Later Spanish expeditions searched for these cities but found no gold.
Cabeza de Vaca later was governor of the Rio de la Plata region in South America.