The Magellan expedition was a Spanish expedition led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan which departed from Spain in 1519 and culminated, in 1522, with the first circumnavigation of the world. The expedition's goal, which it accomplished, was to find a western route to the Moluccas (Spice Islands). The fleet left Spain on 20 September 1519, sailed across the Atlantic and down the eastern coast of South America, eventually discovering the Strait of Magellan, allowing them to pass through to the Pacific Ocean (which Magellan named). The fleet completed the first Pacific crossing, stopping in the Philippines, and eventually reached the Moluccas after two years. A much-depleted crew finally returned to Spain on 6 September 1522, having sailed west, around the Cape of Good Hope, through waters controlled by the Portuguese.