Museo El Dique

About the museum

The site of El Dique lies on the Trocadero peninsula in the Bay of Cádiz. Its history begins in the 16th century, when Philip II ordered the fort of Matagorda to be built there, and continues with the first modern shipyard in Spain. In 1871 the company Antonio López y Cía. commissioned the Scots Bell and Miller to design a dry dock for ship repairs; the dock, 159 metres long, was inaugurated on 3 July 1878 with the entry of the steamer “Guipúzcoa”.

The shipyard later passed through several companies: the Compañía Trasatlántica, the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval and Astilleros Españoles, and today it belongs to Navantia. The complex preserves buildings and installations that reflect the importance of the shipbuilding industry in the province of Cádiz, and occupies some 80,000 square metres within the current shipyard.

The museum holds a large documentary collection: more than 3,000 items, an archive of some 1,700 linear metres, a photographic collection of more than 500,000 negatives dating from 1877, a newspaper library, an audiovisual collection and a library. It is part of the Registro Andaluz de Museos (Andalusian Museum Register), and the complex is declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Cultural Asset of Interest). In 2024 the chapel in the historic Matagorda area was restored. According to the museum's website, in-person visits are offered to technical and educational groups by appointment.

Highlights

• Historic dry dock from 1878
• Matagorda fort and restored chapel
• Photographic collection of more than 500,000 negatives dating from 1877
• More than 3,000 items and a large naval documentary archive
• Site of around 80,000 m² within the Puerto Real shipyard

Permanent exhibition

• Recinto patrimonial El Dique – Historic complex of the Matagorda shipyard with the dry dock, the chapel and the remains of the fort, plus the museum's documentary, photographic and object collections.

Operated by

Navantia

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The entrance is in the industrial estate of the Puerto Real shipyard (Navantia); access is by appointment only.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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