Replica of Elcano’s Nao Victoria docks in Benalmadena

Replica of Elcano’s Nao Victoria docks in Benalmadena

Juan Sebastian Elcano was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, 500 years ago, in his famous ship, the Nao Victoria. A replica of this stunning vessel will be docked in the Malaga municipality of Benalmadena until Sunday, November 14. Visitors can go on board and experience exactly what life was like on a seafaring craft all those years ago, on a voyage around the world.

The original ship departed from the port of Sevilla in 1519, and sailed around the globe, before returning to the Andalucian city once again in 1522. Its commander’s name, Juan Sebastian Elcano, is forever etched in the annals of maritime history. Elcano was born in the coastal town of Getaria, in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country.

This carbon copy of the Nao Victoria is on a tour of Spain, having already visited 25 cities. Celebrating the 500th anniversary of the first-ever voyage around the world, it is stopping off in Benalmadena as part of this tour. It is part of the Nao Victoria Foundation’s activity programme in collaboration with Sevilla City Council.

After a long process of historical research had been conducted, the vessel was built in 1991 in Spain. Since then, she has already covered more than 26,000 nautical miles, visiting hundreds of ports on cultural tours in both Europe and the United States.

Visitors to the Nao Victoria can tour her decks, and imagine what it must have been like 500 years ago facing such an immense, three-year voyage to new shores, full of exciting, but often dangerous adventures. A visit below decks can show what life would have been like for the young crew members of the day.

Opening times for visits are from 10am to 7pm. Tickets are €5 for adults, and €3 for children under ten. A family ticket is €13.

Strict coronavirus protocols are in place, with mandatory use of masks for both visitors and the ship’s crew members, as reported by surinenglish.com.

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