Luis Váez de Torres was a Spanish explorer and navigator who is best known for his voyage through the Torres Strait in 1606. He was born in 1565 in the Basque region of Spain and was the son of a wealthy merchant. He was educated in the arts and sciences and was an avid sailor from a young age.
At the age of twenty-one, Váez de Torres joined the Spanish Navy and was sent to the Caribbean to fight against the English. He was successful in his mission and was promoted to the rank of captain. In 1605, he was chosen to lead an expedition to the South Pacific in search of a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The expedition set sail from Acapulco, Mexico in 1605 and arrived in the Philippines in 1606. From there, Váez de Torres sailed north and eventually reached the Torres Strait, which separates Australia and New Guinea. He was the first European to sail through the strait and is credited with discovering it.
Váez de Torres continued his voyage and eventually reached the Moluccas, a group of islands in the South Pacific. He then sailed west and eventually reached the coast of South America. He landed in Ecuador and continued his journey south, eventually reaching Peru.
Váez de Torres was the first European to sail around South America and is credited with discovering the strait that now bears his name. He returned to Spain in 1609 and was celebrated for his accomplishments. He was given a pension and a coat of arms by the Spanish crown.
Váez de Torres died in 1622, but his legacy lives on. He is remembered as one of the great explorers of the Age of Discovery and his voyage through the Torres Strait is considered one of the most important voyages of the era. His discovery of the strait opened up a new route for trade and exploration between Europe and the East Indies.
Today, Váez de Torres is remembered as a brave explorer who helped to open up the world to European exploration. His legacy lives on in the strait that bears his name and in the many stories of his courage and determination. He is an important figure in the history of exploration and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of explorers.