AH-WR-1198

Nuestra Señora del Juncal

Galleon · Spain · Lost 1631 · The Mexican Gulf Coast & Campeche

The lost flagship of Spain's 1630-1631 New Spain fleet, sunk with nearly two million pesos of silver, still unfound after three decades of INAH research.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Nuestra Señora del Juncal served as almiranta of the Flota de Nueva España of 1630, sailing from Veracruz on its return voyage to Spain in autumn 1631. Caught by repeated storms in the Gulf of Mexico, the galleon foundered on the eve of All Saints' Day with several hundred people and a rich cargo of silver and dyewoods aboard. Its wreck has never been found despite decades of documentary and field research by Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. The loss remains one of the best-documented disasters of the Carrera de Indias, thanks to surviving Spanish colonial archives.

Vessel

Built: 1623
Builder: Not established
Yard: San Sebastián, Spain
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Spanish Crown, Flota de Nueva España

Loss

Date: November 1, 1631
Cause: Storm
Location: Sonda de Campeche (Campeche Bank), Gulf of Mexico
Water: Gulf of Mexico
Voyage: San Juan de Ulúa, Veracruz, New Spain → Havana, Cuba, en route to Spain
Cargo: Silver coin and bullion, dyewoods (grana, añil, palo de tinte), cacao and silk
Aboard: 300
Lives lost: Historical accounts describe heavy loss of life among several hundred aboard, but a precise confirmed figure is not established in the sources reviewed.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Underwater cultural heritage subject to Mexico-Spain bilateral cooperation agreements

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Sonda de Campeche, Campeche
Region: The Mexican Gulf Coast & Campeche

The wreck itself has never been located; only the general area of loss (Campeche Bank) is documented.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (62/100)

The precise wreck location, exact numbers aboard and lost, and present condition of the vessel are not established; the site has never been found.

Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), Subdirección de Arqueología Subacuática
Fleet role, loss date, location, cargo, and ongoing search project.
Wikipedia (Spanish), citing Mexico-Spain 2014 cooperation memorandum
Build details, crew complement, and international cooperation context.
Maritime Safety and Security Law Journal
Loss date and legal/ownership status as underwater cultural heritage.