On September 20, 1519, a fleet of five ships departed from the port of Sanlúcar under the command of Ferdinand Magellan. This marked the beginning of a voyage that would, for the first time, circumnavigate the globe, practically demonstrating the Earth's sphericity. The expedition's primary objective was to reach the Moluccas, islands that produced the prized spices, by sailing west to wrest this monopoly from the Portuguese, who reached the destination from the east. The voyage involved rounding the African continent via the Cape of Good Hope and sailing across the Indian Ocean. During this adventure, the Strait connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (the name given by Magellan to what was then known as the South Sea) would be discovered.