The Portuguese explorer you’re looking for is Bartolomeu Dias.

Who He Was

Bartolomeu Dias was a Portuguese navigator active in the late 15th century, during the Age of Exploration. He sailed for King João II of Portugal as part of a push to find a sea route to Asia around Africa.

What He Did at Africa’s Tip

  • In 1488 , Dias became the first known European to round the southern tip of Africa, now called the Cape of Good Hope.
  • He originally named it “Cabo das Tormentas” (Cape of Storms) because of the fierce weather his ships faced there.
  • This voyage proved there was a workable sea route toward India around Africa, which later allowed expeditions like Vasco da Gama’s to reach India by sea.

Why It Matters Today

Dias’s rounding of the Cape of Good Hope broke the old overland and Middle Eastern monopoly on trade routes to Asia, paving the way for direct European–Asian sea trade. It also helped make Portugal a leading maritime power of its time.

TL;DR: The Portuguese explorer who rounded the tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope) was Bartolomeu Dias , who first did so in 1488.