In the early modern period, Hispanic navigation broadened the world’s maritime horizon. America, Europe and Asia were connected by sea routes that took advantage of coastal geographical features and wind and ocean dynamics to link ports and cultures.
Main ports
Port #12 / 15
This is the oldest port in the New World, located on the island of Hispaniola (La Española), which was the first Spanish territory in the New World. This was the first active port and the place where the population of La Isabela, the first settlement founded by Columbus, moved to.
Scattered around the coasts of the United States of America and the Bahamas are thousands of Spanish shipwrecks that once sailed their waters from the beginning of the 16th century to the end of the 19th century. A shared history comprising tales of exploration, colonization, globalization and battles which take place in seas and oceans, facing natural hazards and extreme weather conditions.
10 notable shipwrecks
Story #7 / 10
In 1622 two Spanish fleets set sail from Cartagena de Indias and Havana bound for Spain. While departing Cuba a gale scattered the fleet, causing two galleons to wreck off the Florida Keys. A total of about 500 people died, four million ducats were lost, and three galleons and several merchant ships wrecked. The survivors were gathered and returned to Cuba while Spain sent ships to rebuild the fleet.
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Statistics, anecdotes, specialized vocabulary and a bibliography to help those who want to deepen their knowledge of the historical period in which the shipwrecks reported on this website occurred.
| Known cause | Ships | Percentage |
|---|
| A collision with shoals, cays and reefs | 2 of 103 | 1.94% |
| A hurricane | 71 of 103 | 68.93% |
| A storm | 30 of 103 | 29.13% |
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