On February 3, 1488, land finally appears. He lands in what is now Mossel Bay, South Africa. The crew is exhausted, battered, and low on supplies. They have accomplished the impossible, but the crew, fearful of the vast Indian Ocean ahead, insists on turning back.
For 13 days, the crew fights relentless gales, driven far away from the coastline into the open, unknown Atlantic. bartholomeu dias
When the wind finally subsides, Dias commands his ships east, expecting to hit the African coastline. He sails for days, but finds nothing but open ocean. Confused but determined, he turns north, realizing with a shock that he has rounded the continent’s edge entirely. On February 3, 1488, land finally appears
When he returns to Lisbon after a 16-month journey, King John II, recognizing the monumental achievement, renames it the —the Cape of Good Hope —for it meant that the route to India was now, finally, possible. They have accomplished the impossible, but the crew,
Though Dias himself never reached India (dying tragically in a storm near the same Cape in 1500), his courage paved the way for Vasco da Gama's successful voyage a few years later. The used in this journey? How this discovery changed global trade ? Bartolomeu Dias - Ages of Exploration
The year is 1487. Lisbon , Portugal, is bustling with the spirit of the Age of Discovery , yet the ultimate goal—a sea route to India—remains elusive, hidden behind the "torrid zone" and the terrifying, unknown southern tip of Africa. King John II commissions a man experienced in Atlantic voyages, a sturdy nobleman of the royal household, , to breach this barrier.