Columbus’s second voyage fleet consisted of 17 ships. It sailed from Cádiz on 25 September 1493, carrying a much larger expedition than the three-ship first voyage.
The fleet included two carracks, or naos, and 15 caravels. These ships transported more than 1,000 people, including sailors, soldiers, artisans, priests, nobles, and colonists, along with horses, pigs, wheat, sugarcane, weapons, and other supplies intended to establish a permanent Spanish presence.
The expedition reached Hispaniola in late 1493. After finding that the earlier settlement of La Navidad had been destroyed, Columbus founded La Isabela in January 1494. The voyage therefore marked a major shift from exploration toward colonization.
A common mix-up is confusing the 17-ship second voyage with the first voyage’s three ships: the Santa María, Pinta, and Niña. The fleet also included the Niña and probably the Pinta, but the second expedition was far larger overall.