What did Vasco da Gama accomplish? Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. He managed to find a sea route to India from Portugal and established a Portuguese presence in East Africa and India.

On July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, in search of a sea passage to India. After docking at the Cape Verde islands for several days, he made a wide sweep out into the Atlantic Ocean.