A public lecture in San Pedro Alcántara will examine research identifying a shipwreck off Marbella’s coast as the Fernando, a vessel of the Spanish Royal Navy. The Marbella town hall’s event listing says the identification is considered highly probable, rather than certain.
The lecture, titled “The identification of the shipwreck on San Pedro Alcántara beach: the ship Fernando”, is scheduled for Monday, 9 November 2026, at 19:30. It will take place in the exhibition hall at the San Pedro Alcántara Cultural Centre, Plaza de la Libertad, with access via the walkway.
The event is organised by the San Pedro Alcántara Culture Department in collaboration with the Underwater Archaeology Centre (CAS) of the Andalusian Historical Heritage Institute. The town hall lists the talk as lasting 60 minutes and recommends it for people aged 16 and over.
Admission is free, with entry available until the venue reaches capacity. The listing does not give a separate booking procedure, so anyone planning to attend should check the municipal culture agenda for any updates before travelling.
According to the event information, the CAS began its investigation in 2023. Researchers drew on evidence including the wreck’s naval architecture, described as influenced by English design, and its mid-18th-century artillery. The work also used 3D photogrammetry, a technique for creating detailed models from photographs.
The Fernando was built between 1750 and 1751, during the reign of King Ferdinand VI, and sank in 1760, the town hall’s listing says. The identification challenges earlier theories that linked the wreck to the French navy.
The lecture offers residents and visitors a chance to hear how archaeological evidence has been used to reassess the wreck’s identity. The municipal announcement describes the find as a development in research on the area’s underwater heritage, while stopping short of presenting the identification as definitive.