The disaster of the Spanish Armada (1588)

This map, designed by Maps & Kings in 2025, shows the journey of the Great and Most Fortunate Armada o Great Armada, commonly known as the Spanish Armada, to the British Isles with the aim of overthrowing Elizabeth I and invading England.

The infographic shows the entire route taken by the Armada, which the author divides into three main phases:

• The departure of the NavyOriginally, the expedition was scheduled to depart from Lisbon, but due to inclement weather, it had to stop in La Coruña to carry out repairs. It finally departed from La Coruña on 21 July 1588.
• The Navy encounters the EnglishBetween 29 July and 8 August, the Armada repeatedly clashed with the English, whose ships included Francis Drake's fleet. The battles did not go well for the Spanish, and this, combined with storms, forced the Armada to flee to the North Sea.
• The return journey around the British IslesMost of the losses of the Spanish Armada occurred on the return journey, when storms wrecked several dozen ships, killing a third of the crew.

Barely half of the 30,000 who left La Coruña managed to return to Spain. 137 ships left Lisbon, 122 entered the English Channel, and only 87 managed to return.

Sources

• 1588: The Defeat of the Spanish Armada