Skip to content

Weymouth Harbour: 17th century El Galeón replica ship arrives

Getty Images El Galeon in WeymouthGetty Images
El Galeón is a full-size replica of a 17th century Spanish ship

A spectacular full-size replica of a 17th Century Spanish ship has docked in a quiet harbour.

El Galeón, which arrived in Weymouth on Thursday, is a copy of the types of Spanish galleons used between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Event company, Vela Cuadra Producciones, says the ships sailed on maritime expeditions trading between Spain, America and the Philippines.

The replica will be in Weymouth Harbour for a weekend of family events.

Inside the re-creation, visitors will find a floating museum documenting the galleons' history of exporting fruits, salt and cargo.

Allow Facebook content?

This article contains content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The ship will be open from 10:00 BST until 20:00 for walking tours accompanied by sailors who live on board.

In a statement on social media, Dorset Council said: "This amazing tall ship is docked and ready for visitors. Bring your sea legs and climb aboard, land lubbers."

Getty Images El Galeon in WeymouthGetty Images
The ship will be open for families to visit over the weekend

The arrival attracted crowds to the harbour on Thursday afternoon as people shared their photos on social media.

JOHN BLACKMAN El Galeon arrives in WeymouthJOHN BLACKMAN
Sailors will accompany members of the public on tours of the ship
Getty Images Aerial view of El GaleonGetty Images
Presentational grey line

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].