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The Urca de Lima park, at the site of one of the fabled Spanish treasure flota (fleet) wrecks that sank during a hurricane in 1715 off present-day Ft. Pierce, was opened to the public in September 1987. It was Florida's first Underwater Archaeological Preserve.
The Urca de Lima was part of the Spanish merchant convoy commanded by Capitan General Don Juan de Ubilla. Urcas were flat-bottomed, round-bellied storeships originally designed to ply the shallow waters off the Flemish coast. Due to their cargo carrying capacity, they soon were adopted for the Spanish-American trade between Europe and the New World.
Loaded with the products of Mexico and Manila, Ubilla's flota of ships
rendezvoused in the summer of 1715 with the South American squadron of
Antonio de Echeverz at Havana to begin the long voyage back to Spain. The
combined fleet of eleven vessels set sail from Cuba on the 24th of July,
but they were never to reach the open ocean.
Only a few days out, the flota was struck by a fierce hurricane off the coast of Florida. The Urca de Lima was grounded by the storm but left relatively intact. The Lima had been heavily laden with general cargo, which included hundreds of uncured cowhides, packets of chocolate, vanilla, sassafras, incense, and other exotic products which brought high prices in Europe. Unlike other ships in the stricken flota, she carried no royal treasure, only private silver in sacks and chests. It was probably her stout hull that had saved much of her contents from being dashed away in the storm. She was the first of the fleet wrecks to be salvaged by Spanish crews from Havana, but was then burned to the waterline to conceal her position from English freebooters, who also began to arrive at the scene. Although many precious goods were recovered from the wrecksites shortly after the disaster, salvage attempts soon ended as turbid sand engulfed the remnants of the lost ships and their cargo.
Follow Highway A1A north from the Ft. Pierce Inlet to Pepper Park.
Walk northward along the beach approximately 1,000 yards from the park
boundary. The wrecksite lies on the first offshore reef in 10-15 feet of
water, some 200 yards from shore.
Please anchor only at a marker buoy to avoid disturbing the remains of
the ship, and remember to display a "divers down" flag. No spear
fishing is allowed within 100 feet of the site.
Exhibits including artifacts from the 1715 treasure fleet can be seen at the following locations:
Museum of Florida History
McLarty Treasure Museum
St. Lucie County Historical Museum
Get a poster or to nominate a site.
Return to the Preserves home page.
Return to the Division home page.
Ship paintings courtesy of William L. Trotter
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