Christopher Columbus made a total of four voyages to the Americas. These voyages took place between 1492 and 1504, during which he explored parts of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, as well as the coasts of Central and South America. Each voyage contributed to the European exploration and colonization of the Americas, even though Columbus himself believed he had found a new route to Asia rather than a previously unknown continent.