The ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ visits Rio de Janeiro

After 28 day’s runs and nearly 4,000 nautical miles, most of them at full sail, the Spanish Navy training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ arrived at the Mauá pier of Rio de Janeiro.

It is precisely the 28th time the ship calls at this populous Brazilian city. This port is the second most visited foreign place after New York. Rio de Janeiro is currently getting ready to host the next Olympic Games.

Under an intense heat and high humidity, the Spanish midshipmen visited many of the most important cultural and tourist attractions like the Sugarloaf Mountain, the Corcovado Christ, the Maracaná stadium, the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the Cathedral and the Sambadrome. They also took part in several professional activities like a visit to the Brazilian Naval Academy where they communed with its students and midshipmen, and attended a conference on leadership by a Brazilian Armed Forces Colonel.

During the port of call in Rio, the candidates to become Leading Seamen from ‘La Graña’ Specialties School disembarked after sailing for 38 days. They will continue with the scheduled training in Ferrol before their promotion.

On the 21st, a military ceremony was organized on board where 23 Spanish citizens living in Rio pledged Allegiance to the Flag in a simple but moving service.

On February 24th, the ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ left Rio towards Montevideo, the next pot of call of her 86th Training Cruise.