Which ocean did Columbus cross to reach the Americas?

Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Americas.

His first voyage began in August 1492, when he sailed west from Palos, Spain, with the Santa María, Pinta, and Niña. After stopping in the Canary Islands for repairs and supplies, the expedition left the islands and entered the open Atlantic. The ships followed the trade winds westward across waters that European sailors already knew, although the full distance and geography were poorly understood.

Columbus intended to reach Asia by sailing west, but he significantly underestimated the circumference of Earth and the distance to East Asia. Instead, after weeks at sea, the expedition reached islands in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. Columbus believed he had reached islands near Asia, which is why he called the people he encountered “Indians.”

The Pacific Ocean lies west of the Americas, but Columbus did not cross it. The Atlantic was the ocean separating his departure point in Europe from the Caribbean islands he reached.