Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón (c. 1475, probably Toledo, Spain – 18 October 1526) was a Spanish explorer who in 1526 established the short-lived San Miguel de Gualdape colony, the first European attempt at a settlement in what is now the continental United States. Ayllón's account of the region inspired a number of later attempts by the Spanish and French governments to colonize the southeastern United States.