A shipwreck lying off Cabopino, on Marbella’s coast, has been identified as the Garigliano, an Italian merchant brig that sank during a storm in November 1887. The identification follows recent underwater research by the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH), through its Centre for Underwater Archaeology, in collaboration with the University of Granada.
The Garigliano was sailing from Marseille to Buenos Aires when the storm ended its voyage off Marbella. It carried tiles and cement, according to the discovery report. The vessel was flying the Neapolitan flag.
Researchers spent 15 days conducting fieldwork in the second half of September. Their findings have helped clarify the ship’s size and position on the seabed. Measurements document 34 metres of visible structure; historical records indicate that ships of this type could reach about 45 metres in length.
The wreck rests with its bow facing the beach and a pronounced list to port. Researchers are investigating the possibility that the weight of the cargo caused both sides of the hull to buckle outwards after the ship lost stability. This remains a hypothesis, rather than a confirmed account of how the wreck broke apart.
The investigation is not finished. Further dives are planned for 2027, giving archaeologists an opportunity to continue examining the vessel and its remains. No additional findings or timetable for that work have been reported.
The wreck’s identification connects a site off Cabopino with a documented late-19th-century voyage across the Atlantic. For residents and visitors, the work is an update on the history of the coast; the supplied information does not indicate any change to beach access or other practical arrangements.