This section emphasizes the importance of the discovery of the Acapulco–Manila–Acapulco route.

From the 14th century onward, the sea became the primary means of communication between peoples. The exploration of the Pacific culminated with Urdaneta’s discovery of the "tornaviaje" (return route) in 1565, which opened the Acapulco–Manila–Acapulco route and connected New Spain to the wealth of the East.