balboa

Balboa is a Spanish surname and toponym. The most famous bearer is Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. 1475–1519), a Spanish explorer who crossed the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to view the Pacific from the New World.

The name is used for various places in the Americas. Notable examples include Balboa Park in San Diego, California, a major urban park established in the late 19th century that houses museums, gardens, and the San Diego Zoo. Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California, are coastal communities connected by bridges and ferries and are known for residential neighborhoods, shops, and beaches.

In Panama, the balboa is the country’s currency. Named after Balboa, it is pegged to the U.S. dollar at parity; U.S. dollars circulate as legal tender, while the balboa exists in coins of smaller denominations for everyday use.

The term Balboa also appears in other contexts, including as a surname for various individuals and in the names of additional places named after the explorer.