The history of Coco´s Island is composed of various consecutive and at times overlapping periods, in which several historical figures can be identified.

The first historical period is that of its discovery, possibly by pre-Columbian navigators and later by Spanish explorers. It is believed that the island was discovered by Spanish navigator Johan Cabezas, after 1531 and prior to 1542, when the island first appeared on a map by Nicholas Desliens where it was called Ysle de Coques.

The second period corresponds to that of pirates, privateers and treasures. Because of the abundance of fresh water, wood, fish and coconuts, during the 17th and 18th centuries the island was a refuge for pirates and privateers, among whom were: Edward Davis, John Cook, John Eaton, Bennett Graham, Benito Bonito and William Thompson; along with chroniclers William Dampier (1652-1715) and Lionel Wafer (1660-1705). According to legend, several valuable treasures were buried on the island, among which are those of the following captains: Davis who arrived in 1685 aboard the ship Bachelor’s Delight; Graham in 1818 aboard the Devonshire; Benito Bonito on the Lightening in 1820; and Thompson aboard the Mary Dear in 1821. This last treasure is known as “The Treasure of Lima.”

A third historic period corresponds to that of the whaling ships, when the island served as a source of fresh water, logs and firewood, as well as a resting place for numerous crews of whalers that usually operated in the waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands. Although this period is richly documented in the logbooks of the whalers, it has seldom been studied.

A fourth period refers to the presence of explorers and scientists on the island, which began in 1791 with the visit of Alejandro Malespina with his ships Descubierta and Atrevida that were sent out by the Spanish Crown to explore the hydrology of the Pacific Ocean along the American continent. This expedition was followed by many others, among which were the following: George Vancouver of the British Admiralty, who visited the island in 1795 with the ships Chatham and Discovery; Edward Belcher in 1838 with the Sulphur and Starling; scientist Alexander Agassiz, of the U.S. Fishing Commission, aboard the Albatross in 1888; the Hopkins-Stanford Expedition aboard the Julia Whalen in 1899; members of the California Academy of Sciences aboard the Academy in 1905; a expedition sponsored by the British Museum in 1924 aboard the Saint Georges; several visits by William Vanderbilt aboard the yachts Eagle and Ara, between 1921 and 1928; Vincent Astor on the yacht Nourmhal in 1930; Allan Hancock on the motorized cruiser Velero III in 1932, and many more. As a result of these expeditions and visits by scientists, a large amount of natural material was collected and many publications have been produced about Cocos Island.

Another important period of the island’s history deals with the installation of a penal colony (1879-1881) and an agricultural colony (1884-1912). The first had a short life, but the colonists established agricultural activities, which required them to cut down some of the forest. The second colony was led by August Gissler, who was named Governor of Cocos Island, and it had a varied development under German colonists. During this period extensive searches were made to find the legendary treasures.

The sixth historical period corresponds to the search for treasure. This period begins in the first quarter of the 19th century and ends with the last expedition that looked for treasure in 1992, under John Hodges and Leonel Pacheco aboard the Dulcinea. To date, it is estimated that more than 300 expeditions have attempted to find treasure, but without any known results. 

Along with the periods already mentioned, other modern historical periods can be studied: national exploration and tourism (after 1932), the conservation of the island as a protected area (after 1978), and organized tourism (after 1980).