On what date did Columbus return to Spain after his first voyage?

Columbus returned to Spain after his first voyage on March 15, 1493, arriving at Palos de la Frontera. His return marked the end of the expedition that had taken him across the Atlantic in search of a westward route to Asia.

The homeward journey began in January 1493 from Hispaniola aboard the Niña. Columbus's other surviving ship, the Pinta, became separated during a severe storm. The Niña stopped in the Azores and then reached Lisbon on March 4, where Columbus met King John II of Portugal before continuing to Spain.

The date is sometimes confused with October 12, 1492, the day Columbus's expedition first reached land in the Caribbean. March 15, 1493 refers specifically to his arrival back in Spain. Afterward, he reported to Ferdinand and Isabella and received a hero's welcome, helping prompt Spain's second voyage later that year.