In May 1492, Columbus arrived at the port of Palos in Andalusia, where the town provided him with two caravels: Niña and Pinta, and leased a larger ship, the caravel "Santa Maria," as his flagship.

On August 3, 1492, the three ships set sail with a crew of about 90 men and, after a brief stopover at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, set course westward. Columbus' first expedition had begun.