Hundreds of visitors queued to go aboard the largest warship in the Spanish Navy, The Juan Carlos I, which docked this morning and was greeted with great expectation.

The aircraft carrier, which will remain in port until Monday, is twice the length of a football field and can accommodate 1,500 marines, as well as the crew of just under 300.

Just over 14,000 people will visit the ship in these three days. The visit has been timed to coincide with the national holiday, Día de la Hispanidad, which is traditionally the armed forces day.

Tomorrow morning 500 civilians will swear allegiance to the flag, which is really a military tradition, one undertaken by all recruits. Obviously, this is not obligatory for civilians but rather a voluntary patriotic act.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: Frame from video)