The island was discovered in the 16th century and was originally named Isla de San Pedro by the Spanish
explorer, Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Its current name derives from an Indian word, aboga ("many fish"). The
island's first settlers were Indian slaves from Venezuela and Nicaragua. The
small town of San Pedro was founded in 1524 by Hernando de Luque, dean of the
Panama cathedral. The town church of the same name is claimed to be the second
oldest church in the hemisphere. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), the first Catholic
saint
