Walter Raleigh's Expedition to the Orinoco
- When
- 1595
- Where
- Coast of Trinidad; Orinoco River
- Episodes
- 3
In 1595, Sir Walter Raleigh led an English expedition to the Orinoco River in search of El Dorado. The voyage ended when Raleigh abandoned the expedition due to rising waters and a lack of means to advance, hoping to return at a more favourable time.
Episodes
- Ascension of the Orinoco
Raleigh sailed up the Orinoco for five days, reaching Arromaia and anchoring near the island of Murrecotima.
- Abandonment of Expedition
Raleigh abandoned the expedition due to rising waters and lack of means to advance further up the river.
- Arrival at Trinidad
Raleigh's fleet arrived off the coast of Trinidad on 22 March 1595, marking the start of the Orinoco expedition.
Background and detail
The 1595 Expedition. Arriving off Trinidad on 22 March 1595, Raleigh proceeded up the Orinoco. He reached Arromaia and anchored near Murrecotima, where he met an Arawak chief. With no means of advancing and threatened by rising waters, Raleigh abandoned the expedition, hoping to return at a more favourable time.
People involved
- Sir Walter Raleigh · Expedition Leader
- Aramiari · Arawak Chief
Sources
- Walter Raleigh Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-17
- El Dorado Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.