Pêro da Covilhã

Pêro da Covilhã (c. 1460–after 1526) was a Portuguese diplomat and explorer born at Covilhã in Beira. In 1487 he was sent on an overland mission to scout trade with India and Arabia. Travelling through Egypt and Arabia, he reached Calicut in India and Hormuz before making his way to Ethiopia, where he spent the rest of his life.

His detailed report was studied in Lisbon and, alongside Bartolomeu Dias's voyages, helped pave the way for Vasco da Gama's voyage of 1497, while his arrival opened Portugal's relations with Ethiopia.