A non-profit “Mar, Hombre y Paz” Civil Association carefully created and built the Marigalante pirate ship during seven years from 1980 thru 1987 in Alvarado, Veracruz. Today, the Marigalante pirate ship is the pride of Puerto Vallarta and a top tourist activity. The pirate ship became the number one destination stop for tourists in 1997 as the tourists learned if they wanted to have a great time on their vacation in Banderas Bay, they had to start it off by stopping by the Marigalante pirate ship.
Banderas Bay Pirates
The Marigalante pirate ship along with their crew welcome and invite everyone aboard that is wanting an adventure every day and night. The tour during the day is packed with adventure and fun for the entire family as you will experience a treasure hunt on the beach and water sports such as paddle boarding. If you attend a tour during the night, you enjoy a pirate show that features fireworks and sword fighting, and then you can watch the sunset over the Banderas Bay. Are you curious what the Marigalante pirate ship was doing before it made Puerto Vallarta, Mexico its home? Read on to find out!
Puerto Vallarta’s History and The Marigalante Pirate Ship
The intention behind the building of the Marigalante pirate ship was to commemorate historical voyages along with commemorating the 500th-anniversary celebration when America was discovered which occurred in 1992. The pirate ship was completed in 1987, and then it began sailing from Veracruz to Santona in Cantabria, Spain during the month of September. Once it left Santona, the pirate ship headed onward to Seville, and from there it sailed to Guadalquivir where a delivery of 10,000 “Maravedis” (coins) took place as this was the same amount of the reward that Rodrigo de Triana was to receive when he spotted land while sailing with Christopher Columbus. As we all know, Christopher Columbus took credit for this discovery, so the intention was to give Rodrigo de Triana the glory along with the reward amount that he truly deserved. A chest that was carefully designed with thirty species of tropical wood carrying the collection of coins from thirty-three countries and different centuries. The tropical wood that was used for the chest is also the same wood that was used to construct the Marigalante pirate ship. Today, the chest is proudly displayed in “La Antiqua” in a chapel in the Cathedral of Seville.
The Marigalante Pirate Ship Sails to South America and Asia
The Marigalante pirate ship started sailing to Japan using the Nao route that goes from Mexico. This route was to commemorate 100 years of trade with the country. The ship then sailed on to Ecuador in South America in 1992 using the Cocoa route, and then it sailed to Spain where the celebration of the 500th anniversary was to take place to commemorate Christopher Columbus sailing to the New World.
Eighty-seven ports and islands around the world is what the Marigalante visited. The voyage covered 52,000 nautical miles or 96,304 kilometers, which actually equals to 2 1/3rd trips around the globe. It took nearly thirty years of voyages worldwide, and the pirate ship has earned recognition in several different museums, which included two in Spain, one in Ballina, and Australia. The floating museum is now at home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The pirate ship has been featured in two books and documentaries that won awards.