Niña (ship)

Niña (ship)

Niña was one of the three ships that helped explorer Christopher Columbus sail to the West Indies in 1492. She was first named Santa Clara, but most people called her La Niña, which means "The Little Girl." This name came from her owner, Juan Niño, whose name means "Little Boy."

Niña was a small, fast ship called a caravel. She was not very big, about the size of a trading ship. But she was very important for Columbus’s big journey. Before the trip began, her sails were changed in the Canary Islands to help her sail better in the open ocean.

Today, copies of Niña travel around the world. One copy was built in Brazil and sails to many ports so people can see it. Another copy was made for a big event in 1893. These copies let everyone learn about this famous ship and its important trip.