Christopher Columbus is credited as the first European to discover Cuba, landing on the island during his first voyage on October 28, 1492.

Key facts

  • The island of Cuba was reached by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage across the Atlantic, sailing under the Spanish Crown in 1492.
  • Columbus arrived at the northeastern coast of Cuba around October 27 and went ashore on October 28, 1492, near what is now the Nipe Bay region.
  • In his reports, Columbus initially believed Cuba was part of the Asian mainland rather than a separate island, reflecting the geographic misconceptions of his time.

Before Columbus

  • Long before any Europeans arrived, Indigenous peoples such as the Taíno and Ciboney had lived in Cuba for thousands of years, developing their own societies and cultures.
  • When people ask “who discovered Cuba,” most historical references mean “who was the first European to record reaching Cuba,” not who first inhabited or knew the island.

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