The Armada del Mar del Sur

The Armada del Mar del Sur (South Sea Armada) was created by Philip II between 1578 and 1581, and charged with two essential missions: one was to guard and protect the Pacific coast; and the other one was to transport silver from the viceroyalty of Peru to the port of Perico, in Panama.

Its base was in Lima, in the port of Callao, located in a small bay protected from the winds by the island of San Lorenzo. It was a strategic location for the gold and silver routes, as it was the natural outlet for the mining regions of the highlands.

This Armada was always composed of ships built in America, most of them in the shipyards of Guayaquil. It was, therefore, a true Creole Armada.