The Spanish Navy training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ visits the city of Montevideo.

The training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ made a stopover in Montevideo between January 7 and 12 in the course of her 92nd Training Cruise.

Montevideo was visited by the Magallanes-Elcano expedition 500 years ago during the voyage arranged by the Spanish Crown in its effort to discover a sea passage towards the Spice Islands. The port call had therefore a special meaning this year as part of the events organized on the occasion of the commemoration of the first circumnavigation of the globe.

It was also the first place visited by the training ship in 1928 in her maiden cruise, becoming the first American port visited in the history of the ship. This has been the sixteenth time the brig-schooner has pulled into Montevideo, being the second most visited South American port after Buenos Aires.

As part of the official institutional activities organized in the city were the welcoming ceremony in honor of the Spanish ambassador to Uruguay, José Javier Gómez-Llera; the protocol luncheon hosted for several civilian and military authorities; a reception with more than 300 guests, among them an ample representation of the Spanish community residing in this city, and members of the Uruguayan Navy. Another highlight was the Pledge of Alliance to the Flag ceremony for several Spanish citizens with more than 100 guests.

As part of the ceremonies celebrating the first circumnavigation of the Earth, a commemorative plaque was unveiled as a homage to the Magellan and Elcano expedition on the seafront façade of the Naval Museum. The event was attended by many Uruguayan military authorities and a broad representation of the crew of the ‘Juan Sebastián Elcano’.

For its part, on the evening of January 9, the Embassy of Spain in Uruguay held a reception for about 500 guests, attended by a large representation of the crew and midshipmen of the training ship. During such reception, a commemorative postage stamp of the world's first circumnavigation was officially presented.

The ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ is currently sailing towards the port of Recife (Brazil), where she is planning to arrive on January 30.