The Discovery of Central American By Columbus At the time of the discovery of Central America by Christopher Columbus in 1502, highly civilized Maya and Nahua Indians inhabited the westernmost part of the isthmus. The impressive ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras, and Tazumal in El Salvador are relics of that civilization. Panama and most of Costa Rica were occupied by less civilized societies that shared cultural characteristic with the Indians of northern South America. Within 25 years of the discovery of Central America the Spanish had essentially completed their conquest. Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed Panama and discovered