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Why was passing Cape Bojador in 1434 important for Portuguese sailors?

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Map showing the transatlantic and global routes of major early voyages of discovery and exploration by Spain, Portugal, England, and France during the 15th and 16th centuries. The map traces the journeys of explorers such as Columbus, Cabot, Magellan, da Gama, and others, with labeled paths crossing the Atlantic and encircling Africa and South America, as well as lines of demarcation dividing Spanish and Portuguese exploration zones. — European exploration Map depicting the European exploration of the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries, including the voyages made by Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci, Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián del Cano, Giovanni da Verrazzano, Jacques Cartier, Sir Francis Drake, and others. The lines of demarcation represent an early division between the territory of Spain (to the west) and Portugal (to the east).

Passing Cape Bojador in 1434 was a significant milestone for Portuguese sailors because it allowed them to overcome a long-standing psychological barrier. Before this, the cape was known to early European navigators as the "point of no return" due to a prevailing superstition regarding the dangers of the reef-lined coast, which had previously deterred mariners from venturing further south.1

By successfully navigating past this point, the Portuguese explorer Gil Eanes dispelled these fears, effectively opening the way for further exploration along the West African coast. This achievement was a crucial step in the broader Portuguese effort to explore the African continent, establish trade routes—including the eventual trafficking of enslaved persons and gold—and pursue a sea route to the spice markets of the Indies. While some historical accounts suggest the importance of this specific event may be exaggerated due to the ambiguity of early sailing directions, it remains a symbolic turning point in the history of European maritime expansion.21345