At the age of ten he lost his father and at thirteen he entered the service of his uncle Sancho Martínez de Leiva, captain general of the galleys of Naples.
After this victory, and in order to clear the coast of Africa of pirates, he took part in an expedition that attempted to take the rock of Vélez de la Gomera by surprise.
In this failed enterprise he was wounded, but in 1564 he participated in a new assault on the rock that was crowned with success under the orders of García Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, Viceroy of Sicily [2].
After serving as Admiral of the Portuguese fleet (1591-1594), based in Lisbon, which formed part of the Royal Spanish Navy of the Ocean, he was promoted to Capitain General in 1594.
He set sail from Lisbon on 2 January 1596, with 19 ships, but only 8 galleons, attacking the superior enemy force on 11 March in sight of the island of Pinos.
He returned triumphantly to Sanlúcar, where on 1 October 1596 he brought one of the largest shipments of gold and silver in history which he escorted, his own squadron, the prizes, and 350 English prisoners [1].