Christopher Columbus first landed in what he called the “New World” on October 12, 1492, on an island in the Bahamas he named San Salvador (likely present‑day San Salvador Island, though the exact spot is debated).

Quick Scoop

  • Date of landfall: Columbus reached land on October 12, 1492, after sailing west from Spain across the Atlantic.
  • Location: He landed on an island the Indigenous Lucayan people called Guanahani, which he renamed San Salvador.
  • Modern debate: Many historians think this island is now San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, though some argue it may have been Samana Cay or another nearby island.

A bit of story

Columbus set sail from Spain on August 3, 1492, with three ships—Niña, Pinta, and Santa María—hoping to reach Asia by a westward ocean route.

After more than two months at sea, his crew finally sighted land in the Bahamas, marking the start of sustained European exploration and colonization of the Americas, even though Columbus believed he was near Asia.

In later weeks of that first voyage, he went on to visit Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing a small colony and returning to Spain in early 1493 with reports that would electrify European courts.

TL;DR: Columbus landed in the “New World” on October 12, 1492, on an island in the Bahamas he called San Salvador (exact modern island still debated).

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