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In 1260, Alfonso X conquers it and calls it Santa María del Puerto, organizes the land distribution and grants it the Village-Constitution. During the whole of the Middle Ages, El Puerto enjoyed a progressive growth at sea, thus the considerable participation of its seamen in the Discovery and Conquest of America is not surprising.

Christopher Columbus himself resided some time in the Duke’s Palace of Medinaceli, between 1483 and 1486, and got help to set out on the voyage which would lead him to the Discovery. Here the Santa María was equipped, which was owned by the seaman Juán de la Cosa, who was a pilot with Columbus in 1492, and who in El Puerto, in 1500, dates the first world map to include America.