Who were the two Spanish explorers to Mexico before Cortes?

Before Hernán Cortés, the two notable Spanish explorers to Mexico were Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Juan de Grijalva. Hernández de Córdoba arrived in 1517 and is credited with the first exploration of the Yucatán Peninsula, while Grijalva followed in 1518, exploring the coast of Mexico and making contact with indigenous peoples. Their expeditions paved the way for Cortés's later conquest of the Aztec Empire.