Fine engraved map from Herrera's Descripcion de las Indias Ocidentales, showing part of Central America, including present-day Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

The present example is from the second Spanish edition, published in 1726.

Herrera's map is one of the earliest maps to show the region and one of the most unique, coming exclusively from Spanish sources. As is typical of Spanish maps published prior to 1750, because of the official Spanish policy of secrecy concerning their Colonies, there is very little detail provided with respect to topography, places and town names.

Herrera served as the official historian of the King of Spain, and he produced a substantial history of the West Indies, Central and South America. Originally published in 1601 in Madrid, it was reissued later in several editions and languages.