The First Ship that Circumnavigated the World
- museomaritimo
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
September 18, 2025 – Makati City, NCR, Philippines
An Article by SM Floralde
Who was the first man to circumnavigate the world? Some people would respond that it’s the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. Although he led the historic expedition beginning in Spain in 1519 and reached their destination in the Philippines in 1521, records show he died before returning to Europe. Therefore, he never completed the circumnavigation.
The honor was actually given to Juan Sebastian Elcano. He was the second-in-command who took charge to lead the remaining crew back to Spain in 1522. However, others would argue that the first circumnavigator was not a European at all but an Asian, specifically a Filipino (?). Well, that’s another story!
So, in relation to the first question, we may ask:
What was the name of the 16th-century ship that completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the earth?
To answer this question, let’s first identify the ships used by Magellan and summarize their journey around the world.
Magellan’s Ships
Ferdinand Magellan led a momentous expedition that consisted of five ships. They were Trinidad, Concepción, Santiago, San Antonio, and Victoria. These were mostly carracks, for they were medium-sized cargo ships with multiple masts. Only one of them was a caravel, built to carry goods across the Atlantic. Unfortunately, two of them never made it anywhere near the coastlines of the Philippine islands. The caravel, Santiago, “wrecked in a storm at Sta. Cruz River on 22 May 1520.” While the carrack, San Antonio, “deserted in the Strait of Magellan, [on] November 1520, [and] returned to Spain on 6 May 1521.”
After Magellan and his crew endured the storms, disease, starvation, and hostile encounters, the three ships finally reached the Philippines. They first sighted the island of Samar on March 16, 1521. The next day, they landed on Homonhon Island. In the coming weeks, Magellan befriended and then converted the inhabitants of Cebu to Christianity, including their leader, Rajah Humabon. However, the Chief of Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu, and his more than a thousand warriors resisted them. Ending in bloodshed, Magellan and several of his men were killed in the shallow waters off the shore.
After Magellan’s death, Concepcion was “scuttled” by the surviving sailors. They divided themselves between the two remaining ships. Being outnumbered and losing morale, they had no choice but to retreat and leave the Philippines. On their way back to Spain, Trinidad, the flagship of the expedition, was captured by the Portuguese after they departed the Spice Islands. So, the last remaining ship with 18 crew left was no other than Victoria, which arrived in Spain in 1522 and successfully circumnavigated the world.
The Victorious Ship
Famously known as Victoria, which means “victory” in Spanish, this ship was named after the Church of Santa Maria de la Victoria de Triana in Seville. It was part of the fleet to the Moluccas and commanded by Magellan. It’s categorized as a carrack, a three- or four-masted sailing ship, developed in Europe between the 14th and 15th centuries. Built in Zarautz, Spain, with a construction cost of 300,000 maravedis, it had a length of over 20 meters (about 66 feet) and weighed around 85 tons, with an initial crew of about 42.
On August 10, 1519, Victoria and the other four ships began their voyage from Seville, Spain. After reaching the Philippines, it went back to Europe as the lone ship, arriving in Sanlucar, Spain, on September 6, 1522. Right after its historic voyage, Victoria was later “repaired”. Then, it was bought by a merchant shipper and sailed for almost fifty years. Then, in about 1570, “en route to Seville…she disappeared without a trace.”
The Replica
The world-renowned Victoria was long gone. But its historical value for sailing around the world has made an indelible mark on history. To memorialize and celebrate its glorious days, a replica was built in 1992 to allow people from different parts of the world to experience life aboard a 16th-century galleon ship.
Known as Nao Victoria, this scaled replica travels to various ports in Europe and the USA. It was built in Spain using traditional techniques and functions as a floating museum that draws millions of visitors and offers educational experiences. Though it’s just a replica, it’s worth mentioning that this ship had “completed its own circumnavigation, covering over 26,000 nautical miles and making stops in 17 countries.” This serves as a testimony to Spanish maritime heritage.
According to Armada.org, “The Nao Victoria is a replica built with meticulous historical rigor in which the details of the original have been respected and constitutes an authentic masterpiece of Iberian carpentry.”
To date, there are now four known versions of the Nao Victoria. Aside from the original 16th-century Victoria and the full-scale replica built in 1992 and operated by the Nao Victoria Foundation, a second replica was completed in 2011 in Punta Arenas, Chile, and a third one was launched in 2020 to become a permanent exhibition in Seville.
Historical Significance
In a nutshell, the significance of Victoria was clearly stated on a 1590 map created by the Spanish-Dutch cartographer, Abraham Ortelius. Under an illustration of this ship, a notable caption was transcribed. Roughly translated from Latin to English, the message was, "I was the first to sail around the world, and it was I who guided you, Magellan, to cross the Strait. I dared, and deservedly I am called VICTORY: my sails are wings; my prize is glory; my battle, the ocean."
Undoubtedly, the first ship that circumnavigated the world had made an extraordinary journey. For traveling at sea for 3 years and 27 days, having crossed three mighty oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans), and covering a staggering distance of 68,000 kilometers (or 42,000 miles), the world will always remember the triumphant ship called Victoria. Most importantly, it is not only considered a symbol of Magellan’s celebrated voyage, but also a testament to mankind’s unvanquishable willpower to explore new worlds.
References:
1. Ortelius (2021, June 14). Magellan’s Ship Victoria. Worldhistory.org. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14245/magellans-ship-victoria/
2. Patrick d'Epenoux. What happened to the 5 ships of Ferdinand Magellan? https://www.quora.com/What-happened-to-the-5-ships-of-Ferdinand-Magellan
3. National Geographic. Julius Purcell (2021, April 23). 240 men started Magellan's voyage around the world. Only 18 finished it. NationalGeographic.com.
4. BusinessWorld (2022, March 20). Around the world in 3 years. BWorldOnline.com. https://www.bworldonline.com/arts-and-leisure/2022/03/30/438809/around-the-world-in-3-years/
5. Wikiwand. Victoria (ship). Wikiwand.com. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Victoria_(ship)
6. Bergreen, Laurence (2003). Over. the edge of the world : Magellan's terrifying circumnavigation of the globe. New York : William Morrow. https://archive.org/details/overedgeofworl00berg/page/412/mode/2up
7. Armada.The Ship: Nao Victoria. Armada.org. https://www.armada.org/en/nao-victoria
8. Fundacion Nao Victoria (2024, July 30). The Nao Victoria visits Chatham for the first time. fundacionnaovictoria.org. https://www.fundacionnaovictoria.org/the-nao-victoria-visits-chatham-for-the-first-time/