BOU FERRER

The Bou Ferrer is the largest Roman merchant ship currently being excavated in the Mediterranean. Its depth—25 meters—which is accessible to divers, and its excellent state of preservation led to the launch of conservation and research initiatives from the very beginning.

Excavation campaigns are conducted annually to continue investigating the warehouse and uncover new details about its history. The good condition of the wood has even allowed researchers to determine the construction technique used. Some vine shoots that protected the amphorae from bumping into one another have been recovered, and the key to the pantry and some of the crew’s kitchen utensils have also been found.

During excavation campaigns, underwater tours are offered; however, they are not suitable for everyone, as access requires specific certifications and diving levels. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly an experience worth having. In addition, the underwater tours are fully accessible to people with limited mobility.

In Vilamuseu, a museum and the headquarters of the La Vila Joiosa Network of Museums and Monuments, there is a Bou Ferrer Interpretation Center where visitors can see and touch the lead ingots and amphorae, as well as other objects that also lay undisturbed for two thousand years inside this Roman merchant ship at the bottom of the Mediterranean.