Where did Columbus thought he had sailed on his first trip?

On his first voyage in 1492, Christopher Columbus believed he had reached the outskirts of Asia, specifically the islands off the coast of India, which he referred to as the "Indies." Instead, he had actually landed in the Bahamas, along with other Caribbean islands. Columbus was convinced he had found a new route to Asia, not realizing that he had encountered a previously unknown continent to Europeans. This misidentification significantly shaped European exploration and colonization efforts in the New World.