He visited the narrowest part of Central America and conceived the possibility of making a trans-oceanic canal across the Panama isthmus.
When he got back to France he placed before Henry IV a report on Spanish Central America, together with a project for making a canal at Panama.

Henry IV was so pleased with his work and enterprise that he gave him a pension and the title of Geographer to the King.

Shortly afterwards he met Governor de Chastes at Dieppe, and was by him sent out to Canada.

The ship which carried Champlain, PONT-GRAVE,[2] the SIEUR DE MONTS,[3] and other French adventurers (together with two Amerindian interpreters whom Pont-Grave had brought from Canada to learn French) arrived at Tadoussac on May 24, 1603.
[Footnote 2: Correctly written this was Francois Grave, Sieur du Pont.] [Footnote 3: The full name was Pierre du Guast, Sieur de Monts.
Including de Champlain and de Poutrincourt, who will be described later, we have here the four great heroes who founded French Canada.] Champlain lost no time in commencing his explorations.

Tadoussac was at the mouth of an important river, called by the French the Saguenay, a name which they also applied to the mysterious and wonderful country through which it flowed in the far north; a country rich in copper and possibly other precious metals.