Gema Igual, mayor of the City of Santander, gave an official welcome to galleon Andalucia at the dock today. The naval visitor represents a replica of a 16th-century sailing ship which aims to give tourists an idea of what life was like on board back in those days.
A museum that moves – the ideal solution for these times of restricted traveling
The non-profit foundation Nao Victoria, named after the first ship to circumnavigate the globe in the Magellan-Elcano expedition, is the owner and manager of the project. Working together with other associations and the Santander the municipality, it has agreed to send the ship to the North on its first post-lockdown tour.
The galleon is 55 metres long, made of iroko hardwood and pine, including six decks and total of nearly 1000 square metres of sails. It was designed to give visitors, curious about naval history and culture, a closer and tangible look at the type of ships that used to cross the oceans and link the Americas, Europe and Asia for more than 300 years.
“This represents a good excuse to come spend a day in Santander and get to know our community while discovering the leisure, and cultural attractions that we offer to those people who are on vacation,” said Mayor Igual. For the city leader, the ship will only enrich the cultural palette of Santander for what she described to be an “atypical summer”.
This is the second time that this ship makes a call at the port of Santander, after having participated in the III Sea Festival there last year. Tourists who are interested in visiting aboard can buy tickets at the docks or reserve them online. Strict hygienic measures will be observed in order to guarantee a safe and pleasant experience.
Source: TheMayor.EU
