Replica Spanish galleon docks in Costa del Sol after Atlantic voyage

A REPLICA 17th century Spanish galleon docked in Malaga yesterday after a voyage that saw it visit more than 70 cities across the world.

The Andalusian galleon (El galeón Andalucía), sailed across the Atlantic in a voyage that saw it visit Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, the United States and Canada.

It then crossed the Atlantic and headed for Spain, where it visited several Spanish ports before arriving in Malaga.

The voyage has seen it visit New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami and Quebec. It has also visited China, Sri Lanka, Oman, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Malta and Turkey since it was first built in 2010.

The ship, a replica of a seventeenth century Spanish armed merchant ship, weighs 500 tons and spans a length of over 50 metres. It has a crew of between 15 and 35 people.

Building began on the ship in 2009 in the harbour of Punta Umbriá, Andalucia. Since it was finished in 2010 it has sailed thousands of nautical miles.

The ship´s design was based on original documents from the Marques of Victoria, Juan Jose Navarro, an 18^th century Spanish naval commander, as well as other archival materials.

Money for the project came from several private companies and also from the Agency for Innovation and Development of Andalusia, which contributed nearly €450,000.

The ship is also used for studies by universities in Spain and by the University of Liverpool in the UK.

It is currently moored at Pier one in Malaga harbour and can be visited until Sunday January 7.