Spanish Treasure Fleets

Every year, from 1530 to 1792 a fleet sailed from Spain to the Americas. There, it delivered Spanish goods, collected a cargo of treasure and local produce, then returned home to Spain.

When it reached the Caribbean, the fleet split into three units. The Tierra Firme Fleet went to Portobello to collect silver from Peru. Then it sailed to Cartagena to pick up gold from Ecuador, emeralds from Columbia and pearls from Venezuela. The New Spain Fleet went to Vera Cruz, where it was loaded with gold and silver from Mexico and silks, porcelain and spices from China. The small Honduras Fleet called at Trujillo to collect rare indigo dye. All three fleets then met in Havana, Cuba then sailed home to Spain.

Two other fleets helped bring the goods needed to Portobello and Vera Cruz. The small South Seas Fleet ferried Peruvian silver to Panama, where mules carried the silver to Portobello. The Manila Fleet sailed from the Philippines with a Chinese cargo, and once it reached Acapulco in Mexico the the cargo was moved overland to Vera Cruz.

The whole system of "Spanish Treasure Fleets" was one of the most complicated and long lasting trading routes in history.