Acapulco–Manila galleon route

Timeline

1. 1565Philippine Islands · Philippine IslandsAndrés de Urdaneta led a fleet from the Philippines, using the North Pacific westerlies to complete the first east-to-west Pacific return voyage, proving the feasibility of a regular Acapulco–Manila route.
2. 1566–1567Acapulco · GuerreroA galleon carried silver from Acapulco across the Pacific to Manila, then loaded oriental goods for the return voyage to Mexico, completing the first full commercial round trip and validating the two-way silver–goods circulation model.
3. 1568–1570Pacific Ocean · North PacificThe Spanish crown designated trans-Pacific trade as an annual monopoly voyage, permitting only a limited number of galleons to make the round trip each year, and established trading posts in Manila and Acapulco to manage cargo loading and unloading and collect tariffs.