Career information
Port of registry	San Juan, Puerto Rico Unnamed island
Owner(s)	Spanish Royal Navy
Captain(s)	Juan Ponce de León[1]
Notable crewmembers	Spanish Castaway
Fate	Hidden away on unchartered lands
Technical information
Type	Caravel
Affiliation	Spanish Royal Navy Juan Ponce de León
Behind the scenes
First appearance	On Stranger Tides
Latest appearance	On Stranger Tides

"The Santiago. Famously captained by Ponce de León."

―Jack Sparrow^[src]

The Santiago was a Spanish Royal Navy vessel most notably captained by the famous conquistador, Juan Ponce de León. Originally sent to discover the marvels of the New World, was known to have been used when Ponce de León discovered Florida as well as the various expeditions to the legendary Fountain of Youth. All of its journeys were documented within a logbook, which later fell into the hands of one of the crewmen. According to legend, the Santiago disappeared along with its captain because of an ancient storm, in which the ship was stranded on an island.

HistoryEdit

Voyage to the New WorldEdit

"...Ponce de León."
"Says he found Ponce de León's ship."
"Or sailed on it."

―Castaway, Captain and Fisherman^[src]

Sometime during the 16th century, the Santiago was sent to discover the marvels of the New World. According to legends, the captain of the Santiago, Juan Ponce de León, discovered the Fountain of Youth in 1523. It was said that the Santiago had been missing ever since the journey began. However, according to legends, the Santiago had been stranded inland by an ancient storm, hidden away on unchartered lands, sitting atop of rocks on the edge of a cliff.^[2]

At some point before the Santiago's disappearance, it was painted onto the Mao Kun Map, which showed the route that the Santiago took during the voyage towards the Fountain.^[3] An old castaway would have the log of the Santiago, which contained information from the voyage, in his possession.^[4]

ShipwreckedEdit

"What I want first...is Ponce de León's ship."

―Jack Sparrow^[src]

Over the next two centuries, the Santiago became the subject of many stories, and many schemes of ruthless men.^[2] In his attempt to find the Fountain of Youth, Captain Jack Sparrow found the location of the Santiago. However, as he was more interested in finding the Fountain itself, he never made it up to the wreck itself. The ship's log of the Santiago was given to King Ferdinand of Spain by an old sailor who sailed with Ponce de León. This discovery triggered the quest for the Fountain of Youth.^[5]

During the quest, the Chalices of Cartagena were most sought after as they were needed for the Profane Ritual. Ferdinand's most trusted agent, the Spaniard, would have led his crew to the Santiago and retrieved the Chalices. Hector Barbossa would arrive to the Santiago to lie in wait for Blackbeard, who wanted the Chalices as well. However, Blackbeard sent Jack Sparrow, who was forced to help him find the Fountain of Youth, to find the Chalices aboard the Santiago.^[5]

Once Jack entered the wreck, he spotted Ponce de León's skeletal corpse on the Santiago's bed. He also had a brief reunion with Barbossa in which they briefly fought before the ship started to tilt. Jack and Barbossa also worked together in retrieving the chest that supposedly contained the Chalices, but were too late as they found rocks inside the chest instead. Knowing that the Spanish have retrieved the Chalices, they jumped on the ship's bed and had a look at the map to find the Spanish camp. Jack and Barbossa left the Santiago to find the Chalices. The fate of the ship is unknown.

Design and appearanceEdit

"If forty pirates dreamt forty nights of treasure, it would not match the contents of this room."

―Hector Barbossa to Jack Sparrow^[src]

As a Spanish Royal Navy vessel, the Santiago was a seaworthy caravel most reputable in discovering the marvels of the New World. Now that it was wrecked, after nearly 200 years of its rotting timbers exposed to the sun and wind, the Santiago was a dank, insect-ridden ruin where creepers and cobwebs intertwine with discarded weapons and bleached human bones. While wrecked on a cliff, any movement would tilt the ship uncontrollably. Resplendent treasures, including the Chalices of Cartagena, lie in wait for anyone brave enough to set foot in this shadowy wreck.^[2]

Behind the scenesEdit

• For filming On Stranger Tides, scenes concerning the Santiago occurred at two locations. Jack Sparrow's discovery of the Santiago was filmed on June 14, 2010, the very first day of principal photography of On Stranger Tides, on Honopu Beach in Kauai.^[6] The "Ponce de León cabin" scene was filmed in an ornate set that was designed by John Myhre and built at Pinewood Studios.^[7]
• The Ponce de León cabin set had the most overt link to the original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland, resulting from Rob Marshall's research of the ride before he began filming On Stranger Tides. It echoed the tableau known as the "Captain's Quarters", which was a skeletal figure peering at a map with a magnifying glass, surrounded by mounds of treasure.^[7]
• In real-world history, the Santiago returned to Spain after Ponce de León's expedition to Florida in 1513.
• The Santiago, one of Ponce de León's ships that journeyed to the New World, is the second historical ship to be represented in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, because of its appearance in the fourth installment, On Stranger Tides. Blackbeard's flagship Queen Anne's Revenge also made an appearance.
• Although the ship drawn in the Mao Kun Map was unnamed, it is assumed that it was the Santiago as it was drawn over "Ponce de León 1523".
• In the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, the Santiago is stranded on the edge of the waterfall.

The Pirates of the Caribbean wiki has a collection of images and media related to Santiago.

AppearancesEdit

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (On a map)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (First appearance)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)

SourcesEdit

• The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide
• The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Notes and referencesEdit