Juan de la Cosa (c. 1450 – 28 February 1510) was a Castilian navigator and cartographer, known for designing the earliest European world map which incorporated the territories of the Americas discovered in the 15th century.

De la Cosa was the owner and master of the Santa María, and thus played an important role in the first and second voyage of Christopher Columbus to the West Indies.

In the following years, De la Cosa alternated trips to America under its own command with special duties from the Crown, including an assignment as a spy in Lisbon and participation in the board of pilots held in Burgos in 1508.

Canovas del Castillo (1892) states that he was from Santoña, Cantabria,[3] because there are documents showing that he was a resident there and his wife and daughter lived in that city.

It is assumed that the young man took part in sailing voyages around the Bay of Biscay and then towards the Canary Islands and West Africa.

The Catholic Monarchs may have sent de la Cosa to that city as a spy to obtain information and details of the discovery.

De la Cosa, in a notable act of cowardice (or treason, in Columbus's documented opinion), fled the sinking Santa Maria (his partial ownership of the vessel notwithstanding) in the flagship's boat, rather than endeavor to assist Columbus in kedging the stricken vessel from off the coral reef on which it had run aground.

He was awarded the right to transport docientos cahíces de trigo ("two hundred cahices of flour")[9] from Andalucia to Biscay, and exempted from certain duties.

Emboldened by the Spanish victory, de Ojeda decided to go further into the forest, to the native village at the future site of Turbaco.

When they arrived at the town, they were attacked by the natives, and de la Cosa was shot with poison arrows and killed.

De la Cosa's widow received 45,000 maravedís and all the natives he had in his possession as indemnity for services rendered.