<P> Spanish Florida was established in 1513 , when Juan Ponce de León claimed peninsular Florida for Spain during the first official European expedition to North America . This claim was enlarged as several explorers ( most notably Pánfilo Narváez and Hernando de Soto ) landed near Tampa Bay in the mid-1500s and wandered as far north as the Appalachian Mountains and as far west as Texas in largely unsuccessful searches for gold and other riches . The presidio of St. Augustine was founded on Florida 's Atlantic coast in 1565 ; a series of missions were established across the Florida panhandle , Georgia , and South Carolina during the 1600s ; and Pensacola was founded on the western Florida panhandle in 1698 , strengthening Spanish claims to that section of the territory . </P>
who were the first european explorers to settle the south atlantic states after arriving in florida
Spanish