Who discovered Ecuador?

The Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to discover Ecuador. Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513 and discovered the Pacific Ocean, claiming the region for Spain. Later, in 1531, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the city of San Miguel de Piura in what is now Peru. Piura became a base for Spanish exploration and conquest of the region, including what is now Ecuador. In 1534, Pizarro sent his brother Gonzalo to explore the northern part of the Inca Empire, which included Ecuador. Gonzalo Pizarro founded the city of Quito in 1534, which became the capital of the Spanish colony of Quito, which included what is now Ecuador.