Final answer:
The route that many countries wanted to find was an all-water route to Asia, commonly referred to the Indies, in order to access the lucrative spice trade without the costs and dangers of the overland Silk Road.
Step-by-step explanation:
The trade route to Asia that many countries sought to find was often referred to by Europeans as the route to the Indies. Naval exploration was primarily motivated by the desire to access the lucrative spice trade, bypassing the costly and dangerous overland routes of the Silk Road. After the Mongol Empire's decline and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Europeans needed to find new trading routes as the old ones were heavily taxed and controlled by Muslim middlemen. Notable attempts to find alternate routes include ventures by the Portuguese around the coast of Africa and Christopher Columbus's westward journey which incidentally led to the discovery of the Americas.