Being well-travelled is one thing. Being an explorer is quite another. From Marco Polo’s Silk Road expedition, to Nellie Bly’s epic 1889 voyage around-the-world-in-72-days, these 15 famous historical explorers sure knew how to make the most of their time on earth. What’s more, these famous explorer names might just provide inspiration for places to visit during your own trip of a lifetime.
And we’re talking ultimate
Famed for his travels along the
One of the first Europeans to visit
Marco Polo's portrait on the Italian 1000 lira banknote © Shutterstock
If you fancy following in Marco Polo’s fearless footsteps, you could explore our customisable tailor-made trips, among them an exploration of some of
Abubakari II might not be one of the most famous explorer names, but some scholars argue that he deserves a prominent place alongside them.
Thought to have been the ninth mansa (sultan or emperor) of West Africa’s Mali Empire, Abubakari II abdicated to undertake an exploratory ocean voyage. According to an account recorded by the Arab historian Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari or al-Umari (1300 - 1349), Abubakari II “did not believe that it was impossible to reach the extremity of the ocean.” So, “he equipped two hundred boats full of men, like many others full of gold, water and victuals sufficient enough for several years.” It’s said that Abubakari II didn’t return from this voyage, and a few scholars have posited the view that he travelled to the New World.
Having said that, the jury’s still out, with other academics arguing that there’s simply not enough evidence - for the time being at least. One thing’s for sure, on-going research and debates around Abubakari II are important reminders of the need to keep an open mind when it comes to understanding the past. New discoveries about famous historical explorers are always possible, much like the possibilities envisaged by explorers themselves.
Map of Africa by Abraham Ortelius, circa 1570 © Shutterstock
Undoubtedly one of the most famous explorers in history, Columbus was born in
After landing on other islands around the
Columbus's 1492 landing © Shutterstock
When visiting the Caribbean, be sure to check out museums that uncover Columbus from the perspective of those whose lives he impacted. The Seville Great House heritage site in St Ann’s,
Statue of Amerigo Vespucci on the facade of the Uffizi gallery, Florence © Shutterstock
As for Vespucci’s discoveries, considering that the Americas are named after him, the documentation is surprisingly scant. What is certain is that during the late 1490s he undertook two voyages to the New World. While another two trips have been alleged, the letter-based evidence is patchier, and the documents’ authorship debated. During these voyages he did, however, observe that the continent he was exploring was not part of Asia, as was believed at the time. He also explored the coast of modern-day
If you fancy following in Vespucci’s footsteps in South America, check-out our customisable
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As famous historical explorers go, Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan was no stranger to embracing the hazards that often went hand in hand with his profession, among them epic storms, mutinies, sickness and near-starvation. After an early life as a page to queen consort Eleanor and Manuel I in
Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in the Philippines © Shutterstock
Not one to be deterred, Magellan found favour with Charles V in Spain and secured the funds for a five-ship voyage that set off in 1519. His Spanish crew weren’t best pleased to be taking orders from a Portuguese captain, to say the least. In fact, they mutinied in present-day
A month later, Magellan reached the
Charles Darwin is undoubtedly the one of the world’s most influential and famous explorers. In 1831, aged 22 and fresh out of Cambridge University, Darwin joined the crew of the HMS Beagle to survey the coast of South America. Rebellion in Río de la Plata, fossils in Bahía Blanca, observations in the Andes and, of course, finches in the
Statue of Charles Robert Darwin in Natural History Museum, London © Shutterstock
Missionary, abolitionist and explorer, Livingstone was vital in the mapping of the African interior. In 1852 he embarked on a four-year expedition to find a route from the upper Zambezi to the coast. Then, in 1855, he was the first European to see Victoria Falls and in May 1856 he became the first European to cross the width of southern Africa.
Legendary meeting between Henry Morton Stanley (left) and David Livingstone in Africa in 1871 © Shutterstock
Ten years later he set out, on what would be his final trip, to locate the source of the Nile. Uncontactable for several months, he was found by Henry Stanley, explorer and journalist, near Lake Tanganyika in 1871. It was here the famous phrase was coined: “Dr Livingstone I presume?”
When it comes to famous explorer names, Isabella Bird probably doesn’t immediately spring to mind. Yet this fearless Yorkshire woman definitely deserves to be reckoned among the world’s famous historical explorers. After a sickly childhood, her adventures began when her doctor advised that she take an overseas trip to improve her health. As a result, Isabella accompanied her cousins to America, on instruction from her clergyman father that she could remain away for as long as her £100 allowance lasted.
1885 hotel porter - Isabella Bird's celebrated photography © Isabella Bird/Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Attribution
The letters Bird wrote home during this trip become the basis of her first book, “An Englishwomen in America”. Following the deaths of her parents, she continued to travel and write to support herself, most notably exploring
Bird later rode 800 miles through the
In 1888, at the age of 25, Nellie Bly set off to travel the world in 80 days, just like Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg. Her trip took her from New York to London, then onwards from Calais in France to Brindisi in Italy, Port Said in Egypt,
Bly actually completed the journey in 72 days, winning a bet struck with Verne himself. Of this achievement, she declared: “It's not so very much for a woman to do who has the pluck, energy and independence, which characterize many women in this day of push and get-there."
Portrait of adventuress Nellie Bly © Shutterstock
Not only a trail-blazing, record-breaking traveller, Nellie Bly was also a pioneering investigative journalist who reported on everything from the lives of impoverished working girls in Pittsburgh, to corruption and poor living conditions in
All that considered, Bly certainly merits a place at the table of famous explorers. And, while it goes without saying that she's a pretty impossible act to follow, if you fancy embarking on an epic solo voyage (or several) of your own, you might want to
Born in
Stamp created in honour of Dame Freya Madeline Stark © Shutterstock
In the coming years Stark trekked into
During WWII Stark worked for the British Ministry of Information in Yemen and Cairo, and later travelled extensively through
As the first person to reach the top of the world, there’s no doubt that intrepid African-American Matthew Henson should be recognised as one of the world’s most famous historical explorers.
Born in Maryland, where his parents were subjected to attacks from the Ku Klux Klan, Henson was orphaned as a child and set sail as a cabin boy at the tender age of twelve. Under the tutelage of the ship’s Captain Childs, Henson was educated and became an accomplished sailor, voyaging to China,
When Childs died, Henson though his seafaring days were over until he met Robert Peary, a US Naval officer and explorer who took Henson on to assist his next assignment - mapping the jungles of
US stamp showing Robert E Peary and Matthew Henson © IgorGolovniov/Shutterstock
Though Peary was lauded as the first man to reach the North Pole, Henson’s account of the final push of this attempt, as recounted in his 1921 memoir “A Negro Explorer at the North Pole”, describes otherwise. Henson rode in the lead sledge, his footprints were first to make their mark at the North Pole, and it was Henson who planted the American flag.
In 1937 the inaccuracy of Peary being deemed the first man to make it to the North Pole was rectified when Henson was made an honorary member of the prestigious Explorers Club of New York. Then in 1946 the US Navy awarded him the same medal they’d issued to Peary. Henson was also later honoured by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower.
In the field of underwater expeditions, famous historical explorers don’t come more well-known than Jacques Cousteau - the researcher, photographer, filmmaker and marine conservationist who co-invented the Aqua-Lung.
Cousteau’s early career in naval aviation was cut short by a car accident, and led to him following his love for the ocean. In the mid-to-late 1930s he worked for the French Navy’s information service, which saw him sent on missions to
Jacques Cousteau statue in La Paz, Baja California Sur, northwest Mexico © Shutterstock
In 1943 Cousteau and engineer Emile Gagnan co-created the Aqua-Lung, a breathing apparatus that revolutionised underwater exploration by making it possible to stay submerged for longer. A few years later, he showcased his first films, bringing the wonders of the ocean to a far wider audience, while also pioneering the field of underwater archaeological exploration.
Cousteau’s conservation achievements include making a key contribution to restricting commercial whaling, and leading a campaign against the French government’s plan to dump nuclear waste in the Mediterranean Sea.
Hailed as the world’s greatest living explorer by the Guinness Book of World Records, Ranulph Fiennes has led over fifteen gruelling expeditions in the past forty years. He is living proof that intrepid exploration still exists: he led the first hovercraft expedition up the Nile and was the first to circumnavigate the world along its polar axis – a feat of 52,000 miles, starting in the Antarctic and ending at the North Pole.
In 2003 he completed seven marathons, in seven days, on seven continents, and was the first British pensioner to climb Mount Everest, raising £6.2 million for charity.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes © Foreign and Commonwealth Office
In 1997, lecturer, author and former Rough Guides editor Fran Sandham threw caution to the wind and left his London life to walk 3000 miles across Africa, from
Namibia's Skeleton Coast, starting point of Fran Sandham's journey across Africa © Shutterstock
As recounted in Traversa, Sandham’s boundlessly engaging account of his epic journey, he modelled his route on the Victorian-era "traversas" journeyed by the likes of Henry Morton Stanley and Dr David Livingstone. Taking almost a year, during which he was struck by malaria, with the threat of lions and landmines never far from his mind, Sandham’s journey demonstrates the human impulse to strike out and do things one’s own way, with Traversa suffused in a spirit of joie de vivre, albeit brilliantly tempered by the author's endearing self-deprecating wit.
Modern-day adventurer Mario Rigby is surely set to become one of the world's most famous explorers. Born in Turks and Caicos, Rigby grew up in Germany and Canada, where a talent for athletics saw him pursuing a career as a personal trainer. It was an athletics competition in
Adventure explorer Mario Rigby, Crossing Africa © Quantumtoastmedia/Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
In November 2015 Rigby left
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Header image: map of Columbus's voyage © Shutterstock
Joanne is a Pembrokeshire-born writer with a passion for the nature, cultures and histories of the Caribbean region, especially Dominica. Also passionate about inspiring a love of adventure in young people, she’s the author of several books for children and young adults, hosts international writing workshops, and has written articles on the Caribbean and inspirational community initiatives for Rough Guides. Follow her