In the pre-colonial period, in the 16th century, the region was forgotten by Portugal and was explored by other countries that sought hardwood. The most important expeditions were by the Spanish, who brought members of the Society of Jesus, founding settlement centers in western Paraná. Between 1521 and 1525, the region of the rivers Paraná, Paranapanema, Tibagi, and Iguazu was navigated by Aleixo Garcia, leading a bandeira that crossed Paraná and reached the Andes. In January 1542, the Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, following the Peabiru Trail, reached the Iguazu Falls, being the first European to describe them (in his work Comentários).
