Pedro de Candia was born on the island of Crete, which is at this time a Venetian colony known as the Kingdom of Candia, hence his nickname.
He left the island through one of his mother's relatives at the service of the Crown of Aragon, who took him to Italy.
During his period in Italy he was training to become a condottieri and trained in the arms; he fought against the Turks and in the Italian campaigns including the Battle of Pavia before transferring to the Iberian peninsula to serve the Spanish Catholic Queen and King.
Pedro was eventually married at Villalpando.
He had gone to America with Pedro de los Ríos, the new governor or Panama, in 1526, and had accompanied Diego de Almagro and Francisco Pizarro during their first explorations along the coasts of Peru, and when the landing at Tacamez, north of Guayaquil, was effected, he already had command of the artillery.
He was one of the thirteen men that remained in the islands of Gallo and Gorgona with Pizarro, and during the subsequent explorations of the Peruvian ports he undertook to go in person to the Indian towns and investigate their condition.
When Governor Ríos had refused to allow a third expedition to the south, the associates had resolved that Pizarro should leave for Spain and appeal to the sovereign in person.
Pizarro sails from Panama for Spain in the spring of 1528, accompanied by Pedro de Candia, some natives and llamas, plus samples of fabric, gold, and silver.
