Juan de la Cosa was the owner and master of the Santa María flagship during Columbus's 1492 expedition.
The 1500 map attributed to de la Cosa is held at the Naval Museum in Madrid and is the first to include the New World.
The monument is located along the rugged trail leading toward the El Brusco and El Buciero cliffs.
De la Cosa died in 1510 in present-day Colombia during an expedition to the Urabá region.
The monument's design intentionally mimics the shape of a ship's prow, symbolizing de la Cosa's maritime legacy.
The Juan de la Cosa Memorial in Santoña honors the local navigator and cartographer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his first voyage. The monument features a stylized stone structure incorporating a relief map reflecting de la Cosa's famous 1500 world map, the earliest known representation of the Americas. It is situated on the coastal cliffs of Mount Buciero, overlooking the Cantabrian Sea and the entrance to Santoña Bay. The site serves as both a navigational landmark and a tribute to the Age of Discovery. Its positioning provides an expansive view of the surrounding coastal geology and marine activity.
From the trail path looking back toward the monument with the Santoña Bay and the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.
Wear sturdy hiking shoes, as the path to the monument involves uneven coastal terrain.
Bring binoculars to observe the nesting site of various migratory birds commonly found on the Santoña cliffs.
Do not attempt to reach the monument in heavy rain or high winds, as the coastal paths become slippery and hazardous.
