The expedition route

The Spanish expedition to the Spice Islands set sail with five ships in 1519, led by the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan. The journey was completed in 1522 with a single carrack, the Victoria, captained by Juan Sebastián Elcano. By constantly heading west, they managed to circumnavigate the globe for the first time, marking a watershed in the history of navigation. In total, it took 3 years and 20 days to complete such a feat.