If you have lived in La Herradura for at least a handful of years you will know about the Spanish Armada that was destroyed in a storm in La Herradura bay, right?

The event, which occurred 463 years ago (hardly a dog watch) is commemorated each year and there is a monument to it on the beach, but this year the  Spanish Navy participated with the presence of the patrol boat, Tagomago.

The ceremony was held on Sunday the 19th onboard the said naval vessel and was attended by the Mayor, Juan José Ruiz Joya, and the Naval Commander for Almería, Ángel Gamboa. Also present was the Guardia Civil Servicio Marítimo vessel and other civilian craft that wished to participate.

The Mayor was a visibly happy bunny because the Spanish Navy had participated — after all it was one of their fleets that floundered in the bay with the loss of around 5,000 souls.

The ceremony culminated in a wreath being cast into the sea accompanied by the ships sounding their fog-horns.

For those of you who still have not heard of this disaster; second only to the Spanish Armada that set out to invade England, which was then under Elizabeth the First, here is the gen: on October the 19th, 1562 a fleet of 28 galleys commanded by the Captain-General of Spain’s galleys, Juan de Mendoza y Carrillo, did a handbrake turn into the bay, seeking shelter, as a nasty storm was brewing. 

They had set out from Málaga and were bound for  the Kingdom of Naples. They had reached Río de La Miel in Maro (Nerja) when Mendoza made the decision to shelter in La Herradura bay, anchoring in the lee of Punta de La Mona. Unfortunately the wind changed and blew them onto the rocks with some colliding in the panic to avoid being shipwrecked against the rocks…

Only three of the 28 galleys were able to weather the Punta and shelter on the Cotobro side. As mentioned above around 5,000 people were drowned, most of whom were probably the galley slaves/convicts who were chained to their positions.

Spain hasn’t had much luck with large fleets and storms, it appears.

Spain hasn’t had much luck with large fleets and storms, it appears.

(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Spanish Armada, Shipwrecked, La Herradura Bay, Galleys, Storm, Rocks

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