On February 21-March 1,

the El Galeón will be visiting Charlotte Amalie. This full-size reconstructed Spanish sailing vessel used in the 16 to 18th Century will make a stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands on its journey from Puerto Rico to the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. East Coast, Canada and back to Spain.

El Galeón is a 500-ton, 160-foot long vessel with a 32-foot beam. Its four masts hold six sails that measure nearly 11,000 square feet. Commissioned by the Nao Victoria Foundation and launched in 2009, the “living history” ship was converted into a floating museum, with five of the vessel’s six decks available for tours.  Features include an exhibit on “San Pelayo,” the Spanish galleon that was instrumental in the founding of St. Augustine, the first city established by European settlers in what is now the state of Florida. The vessel carries an all-Spanish crew that lives and breathes the history of the ship and its travels from port to port and in the open sea.

Tour information:

  • El Galeón is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Ticket price: $10 adult: $5 students ages 12 to 17 (with valid school ID); $5 children under 12; free for children under 5
  • Advance tickets are available online, at the www.vigiftshop.com , or at the entrance of the vessel on the waterfront.

More History:

Many Spanish expeditions were sent to survey the American coasts in the 16th century. These explorations were soon followed by numerous expeditions for trade and for populating the newly discovered areas. More and more supplies and equipment were delivered to the New World. In time, the ships that were used for exploration were insufficient for the increasing volume of traffic between Spain and America, and it became necessary to design and build a new type of ship with more cargo capacity, defense capabilities and better maneuverability. It was during this period that Spanish galleons arose. It was the captains of the Spanish navy, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Álvaro de Bazán, who designed the definitive long and relatively narrow hulled galleon for Spain in the 1550s.

The 340 Group, LLC is providing Planning & Logistics Support to assist the EL GALEÓN ANDALUCÍA & Crew while it is docked in Charlotte Amalie. Part of their planning include coordinating events, to what will be, the first major international visitor and a marketing attraction event for the VI Centennial Transfer Commission and the Department of Tourism– to commemorate the 100th (10 Karat Diamond) Anniversary of the Transfer from the Kingdom of Denmark to the United States of America.

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