20 September 1519
The fleet departs Spain
Five ships left Sanlúcar de Barrameda to seek a westward route to the Spice Islands.
maritime
Magellan–Elcano Circumnavigation
A Spanish expedition sailed west to reach the Spice Islands. After Ferdinand Magellan died in the Philippines, Juan Sebastián Elcano led Victoria across the Indian Ocean and home.
Dates20 September 1519–6 September 1522
Purposeroute finding, trade route exploration, circumnavigation
Outcomecompleted
Transportsailing ship
Historical significance
The voyage completed the first recorded circumnavigation and demonstrated the connected scale of the world’s oceans, at immense human cost.
Significant moments
28 November 1520
The expedition enters the Pacific
After navigating the strait through southern South America, the surviving fleet entered the ocean Magellan named the Pacific.
27 April 1521
Magellan is killed at Mactan
Ferdinand Magellan was killed during fighting on Mactan. Leadership of the diminished expedition later passed to Juan Sebastián Elcano.
6 September 1522
Victoria completes the circumnavigation
Victoria returned to Spain under Elcano with eighteen European survivors, completing the first recorded circumnavigation.
Westward circumnavigation
Spain to the Pacific
20 September 1519–28 November 1520 · sailing ship · approximate route
Representative route: Sanlúcar de Barrameda → Strait of Magellan
Pacific crossing
28 November 1520–7 April 1521 · sailing ship · approximate route
Representative route: Cebu
Spice Islands to Spain
November 1521–6 September 1522 · sailing ship · approximate route
Representative route: Tidore → Sanlúcar de Barrameda
People
- Ferdinand Magellan: Portuguese navigator who commanded the expedition until his death at Mactan.
- Juan Sebastián Elcano: Spanish mariner who commanded Victoria on the final Indian Ocean and Atlantic return.
Vehicles
- Victoria: The only one of the expedition’s five ships to complete the circumnavigation.
Major places
- Sanlúcar de Barrameda: The expedition’s departure and return port on the Guadalquivir estuary.
- Strait of Magellan: The navigable passage through southern South America used to enter the Pacific.
- Cebu: An important Philippine centre where the expedition formed alliances and Magellan’s command ended.
- Mactan: The island near Cebu where Ferdinand Magellan was killed in fighting on 27 April 1521.
- Tidore: One of the Maluku spice islands reached by the surviving ships.
Sources
- Ferdinand Magellan, Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chronology and overview of the circumnavigation.