text: The first Europeans to discover the islands were the Spanish in 1513 by explorer Juan Ponce de LeÃ n. They are an unincorporated area of Monroe County , Florida and belong to the Lower Keys Census County Division .
simplified: The islands were discovered in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de LeÃ n. They are an unincorporated area of Monroe County , Florida and belong to the Lower Keys Census County Division .