El Puerto de Santa María is known as the City of a Hundred Palaces , although the passage of time and neglect have left many of these magnificent buildings practically in ruins. [ 9 ] As a result of trade with Spanish America or the Indies in the 17th and 18th centuries, veritable palaces were built in the town , adapted to the needs of the wealthy merchants who were also known as " cargadores a Indias" (shippers to the Indies) .