Museum of the Caravel "La Pinta"

The current Caravel La Pinta, located in Baiona, is a replica of the one that arrived in Baiona in 1493 with the announcement of a new world. A museum where you can see the lifestyle of the sailors of that time.

The town of Baiona holds the privilege of being the first town in the old continent to learn about the existence of the New World, when on March 1, 1493, the Caravel La Pinta, captained by Martín Alonso Pinzón and Cristóbal García Sarmiento as the pilot, arrived at its port. From this Royal Village, the news spread around the world, which earned it titles like “Arrival of the Discovery” and “Between Two Worlds.” 

The need to find another trade route to India led Spain to venture into the ocean through unexplored routes. In 1492, Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus departed Europe with three ships: two caravels and a nao, called La Pinta, La Niña, and Santa Maria, respectively, and a crew of about a hundred men in search of India.

Thus, on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus reached what we now know as America upon encountering the Antilles and landing on the island of Guanahaní, which he named San Salvador (he later arrived at the current territories of Santo Domingo and Cuba). 

With the commemoration of the V Centenary of the Discovery, a replica of the vessel was built, which remains docked at the Baiona wharf, on the seafront promenade opposite the marina. In 1999, the interior of the nao was refurbished, equipping it with all the elements from the Columbian era, including both Christian culture and the indigenous Taíno culture. This way, visitors can view the caravel just as it arrived in Baiona in 1493 and relive the epic of discovery by observing figures representing the crew and American natives, along with reproductions of the metals, plants, foods, and exotic animals found in the new world. It features interpretative panels and interactive games. 

This event is commemorated and celebrated every year on the first weekend of March, known as the Festival of the Arrival. It is also one of the reasons why the town has a significant presence of monuments that recall Baiona as the first Spanish port to know about the arrival in the New World. These monuments are all included in the Pinzonian Route.