who was the first person to sail around africa
Bartolomeu Dias. Introduction. In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1450-1500) became the first European mariner to round the southern tip of Africa, opening the way for a sea route from Europe to Asia. Diasâ ships rounded the perilous Cape of Good Hope and then sailed around Africaâs southernmost point, Cabo das Agulhas, to enter the waters of the Indian Ocean.