The conquest of Petén , a region now incorporated Cause_to_be_included into the modern republic of Guatemala , climaxed in 1697 with the capture Conquering of Nojpetén , the island capital of the Itza kingdom , by Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi .

With the defeat Conquering of the Itza , the last independent and unconquered native kingdom in the Americas fell to European colonisers .

The most important groups around the central lakes were the Itza , the Yalain and the Kowoj .

Spanish missionaries laid the groundwork for the extension of colonial administration in the extreme south of Petén from 1596 onwards , but no further Spanish entry of central Petén took place Process_start until 1618 and 1619 when missionaries arrived at Arriving the Itza capital , having travelled Traveling from the Spanish town of Mérida in Yucatán .

In 1622 a military expedition set out Departing from Yucatán led by Captain Francisco de Mirones and accompanied by Franciscan friar Diego Delgado ; this expedition was a disaster Catastrophe , and the Spanish were massacred Attack by the Itza .