You may find yourself doing a double take later this May, when a replica of Christopher Columbus' ship, the Nao Santa María, glides up the Thames and moors up by Tower Bridge.
The 93-ft, full-scale replica of the ship on which the famous explorer voyaged to the Americas in 1492 drops anchor at St Katharine Docks from 28 May-8 June 2025 (weather permitting). Londoners are invited to come and marvel at the vessel, which was constructed in 2018 by various shipwrights, ropemakers and other maritime craftspeople, under the guidance of historians and engineers.
The Nao Santa María — whose hull is actually fibreglass coated with wood — serves as a globetrotting floating museum, and for a fee (prices TBC), you'll be able to climb aboard, tread the decks, peek into the captain's quarters, and learn about life on the ocean waves in the 15th century.
In September 2024, another Nao Victoria Foundation ship, the Galeón Andalucía, visited London.
Nao Santa María, St Katharine Docks, 28 May-8 June 2025.
