The best theory: The Plana Cays

The Plana Cays theory was first proposed by Ramon J. Didiez Burgos in his book, Guanahaní y Mayaguain, which has been almost completely neglected since its publication in 1974. This may be in part due to its unwelcome thesis, or perhaps due to Didiez's almost impenetrable prose.

Didiez proposed that Mayaguana was the source of the light of October 11, and that the first landfall was at the western of the two Plana Cays. From that point, Didiez follows Varnhagen's route along the north coast of Crooked Island (Island II), then circumnavigating Long Island (Island III). Fortune Island is Island IV.

The theory was revived twenty years later by Keith Pickering, who substituted Fox's route along the east coast of Long Island. Pickering's article appeared in the history of science journal DIO. Click here to view the DIO article.

The Plana Cays is the most likely landfall, not because it's a perfect theory (there is no such thing in this debate) but simply because it has fewer and less serious problems than any of the others -- in some cases, a lot fewer.

A map of the Plana Cays route

Unresolved problems with the Plana theory:

1. There are no references on old maps to Plana as Guanahani.
2. The Plana Cays are two islands. Columbus does not specifically say that there are two islands in the log.
3. Columbus described a large pond in the middle of Island I. The large ponds at Plana are not in the middle of the island.
4. There was a peninsula with a narrow neck at Island I. There is no such peninsula at Plana.
5. Acklins Island is marginally visible from the Plana anchorage. Columbus does not mention other visible islands until after leaving Island I.
6. The coast of Island IV does not run west from the northern point.
7. The coast of Island IV is not 12 leagues long.

And that's about it. The shortest list of the bunch.

The quote:

"If the Plana Cays were one island . . . it would absolutely be the landfall"
-- Joseph Judge, former National Geographic Senior Editor, in a letter to Keith Pickering, August 10, 1992

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