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Bartolomé Díaz was a Portuguese navigator and explorer in the service of King Joan II of Portugal, who was the sponsor of the expedition. He explored the African coast in search of a passage to the Indies.
FIRST EXPEDITION: He didn’t arrive to America but he was the first person to sail away from the South Atlantic coast. He discovered the Cabo de Nueva Esperanza. -
Christopher Columbus was an explorer and navigator from Genoa, Italy, who did four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. He was sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain.
FIRST EXPEDITION: Columbus reached several islands in the Caribbean: Guanahaní, Cuba and Santo Domingo. His best ship, La Santa María, collided in La Española and a fort called La Navidad was built with its wood. Columbus returned to Spain in the caravel La Niña. -
SECOND EXPEDITION: The first islands he arrived were La Deseada, Puerto Rico and La Española. On the same island he found the Villa Isabela. In adition, Columbus discovered the Small Antilles (Dominica and Guadalupe), passed through Puerto Rico (San Juan Bautista). Afterwards he explored Cuba and by sailing to the south he discovered Jamaica (Santiago). He continued his voyage and traveled the coasts of Juana (Cuba) and Santiago (Jamaica).
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THIRD EXPEDITION: He departed from Sanlúcar de Barrameda and arrived to the island of Trinidad. He visited the Gulf of Paria at the mouth of the Orinoco River, in South America. In addition, he discovered the island of Trinidad and the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela (Tierra de Gracia). Later, he found the three islands of the current state of Nueva Esparta: the Asunción (the main island) and the others are the current Cubagua and Coche.
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Americo Vespuccio was a Florentine navigator and cosmography who worked in the service of the Kingdom of Portugal, the sponsors of the expedition.
FIRST EXPEDITION: In his first expedition, Americo Vespucio went from Cadiz to the coast of Mexico. This trip lasted one year. -
SECOND EXPEDITION: In the second expedition, he explored the north coast of South America, specifically Brasil, the mouth of the Amazon River.
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THIRD EXPEDITION: This expedition started in Cadiz. He arrives to the Canary Islands, to Cabo Verde, to Cumana and, finally, to San Domingo.
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FOURTH EXPEDITION: Columbus explored the coasts of Central America (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama). Continuing to the west, discovering the island of Guanaja, on the coast of Honduras. It continued to the east, where there was a hurricane, which caused that the 4 ships were shaken by the storm. On September 12 they turned on again.
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Juan Sebastián el Cano was a Basque sailor who did the first circumnavigation of the world.
FIRST EXPEDITION: In this expedition he discovered the passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the south of the American continent, as well as the Mariana Islands and the Philippines. -
Fernando de Magallanes was an and explorer from Sabrosa, Portugal. He completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth in history.
FIRST EXPEDITION: The first expedition had the purpose of opening a commercial route to the Maluku islands by the west, looking for a passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. He managed to cross the Strait of Magellan on November 28 and he also reached the Philippine Islands on April 27. -
Vasco da Gama was a famous Portuguese navigator and explorer, famous for being the commander of the first ship that sailed directly from Europe to India.
FIRST EXPEDITION: He was the first European to reach India by the route around Africa. The well-known Spice Route was essential for the colonial and mercantile expansion of Portugal, which would become a great naval and commercial power throughout the 15th century.