A historic cruise ship floats in the water, escorted by several smaller boats, with a rocky coastline in the background.
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Flagship Canarias: Characteristics and Origin of the Name

The name Canary Islands has a long history in the Spanish Navy. It was carried by the cruiser that was flagship of the fleet for almost four decades, and today it is carried by a frigate in service. In both cases, the name pays tribute to the Canary archipelago as a whole, and not to a specific island or place.

The cruiser Canarias, flagship of the Navy

The first major ship with this name was the heavy cruiser Canarias, built at the Ferrol shipyards and launched in 1931. Its design was inspired by British County class cruisers, and it was one of the largest warships of its time in Spain:

  • Displacement: about 13,500 tons at full load
  • Length: about 194 meters
  • Commissioned: 1936
  • Decommissioned: December 1975

During the Civil War, it was the flagship of the rebel fleet, and afterwards it continued to be the flagship of the Navy throughout its operational life. In May 1941, it participated in the search for survivors of the German battleship Bismarck. It was decommissioned in 1975 and scrapped shortly after.

The frigate Canarias (F-86), currently in service

Currently, the name is borne by the frigate Canarias (F-86), the last of the six Santa María class frigates, based on the American Oliver Hazard Perry design. It was built in Ferrol and entered service in December 1994:

  • Length: 138.8 meters
  • Beam: 14.3 meters
  • Maximum speed: 29 knots
  • Crew: about 220 people
  • Base: Rota (Cádiz)

Missions of the frigate Canarias

The frigate has participated in important international missions. In the Operation Atalanta, against piracy off the coast of Somalia, it detained two of the kidnappers of the tuna fishing vessel Alakrana in 2009 and captured eleven pirates attempting to raid a fishing boat in 2011. Later, in the Operation Sophia in the Mediterranean, it contributed to the rescue of more than a thousand people.

A name linked to the sea and the islands

That two such prominent ships of the Navy have borne the name of Canarias reflects the historical and strategic importance of the archipelago, situated at a crossroads of Atlantic routes between Europe, Africa, and America.

If you are interested in the relationship of the islands with the sea, you can see live activity from the main Canary ports with our webcams from the Puerto de La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and from the seafront of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

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