Why did Portuguese and Spanish explorers sail in different directions to find a route to Asia?

Portuguese and Spanish explorers sailed in different directions to find a route to Asia because of the rivalry between these two powerful empires during the Age of Exploration. The Portuguese were seeking a western route to Asia, hoping to find a sea passage that would allow them to bypass the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India, where the powerful Ottoman and Mughal Empires had control and posed a potential threat to Portuguese trade. As a result, the Portuguese sailed down the Atlantic and around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, eventually reaching India and the East Indies by the middle of the 16th century. Meanwhile, the Spanish were intent on a different route, looking to exploit the potential of the newly discovered Americas. In 1519, the explorer Ferdinand Magellan was commissioned to seek a western route to the Spice Islands. This led Magellan and his crew on a daring circumnavigation of the globe, an endeavor which eventually opened up the way to Asia through the eastern Pacific Ocean.