Columbus reached the coast of present-day Venezuela during his third voyage. In 1498, he sailed south across the Atlantic, sighted Trinidad, and then reached the Paria Peninsula near the Orinoco River in what is now northeastern Venezuela.
This voyage was especially significant because it brought Columbus to the mainland of South America. On August 5, 1498, he sent boats ashore near the mouth of the Orinoco. The enormous flow of fresh water helped convince him that he had encountered a continental landmass rather than another island.
A common mix-up is Colombia, whose name honours Columbus, but Columbus did not reach the territory of modern Colombia during this voyage. Panama and Brazil are also associated with later exploration in the Americas, not with Columbus's third-voyage landing. His expedition continued through the Gulf of Paria and nearby islands, including Margarita.