Caminamos hacia la proa por babor.

Because caminamos is the same form for both:

• present indicative: we walk
• preterite: we walked

Spanish relies on context to tell you which one is meant. In an isolated sentence, both are possible. In a narrative, it often means we walked.

Spanish usually leaves out subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the subject clear.
Caminamos already tells you the subject is we.

You could say Nosotros caminamos hacia la proa por babor, but that would usually add emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

Hacia means toward or in the direction of. It emphasizes movement in that direction, without focusing on whether the destination is reached.

So:

• hacia la proa = toward the bow
• a la proa = more like to the bow

Both can be possible in some contexts, but hacia is a very natural choice when the idea is directional movement.

Proa is being used as a normal noun, so it takes the definite article: la proa.

Babor, on the other hand, often appears without an article in fixed nautical expressions, especially after prepositions:

• por babor
• a babor

So por babor is a standard set phrase.

Here por expresses the route, side, or way along which the movement happens. It means something like along the port side or by way of the port side.

En babor is not the normal idiomatic expression for this meaning. In nautical Spanish, por babor is the natural phrase.

They are standard maritime terms:

• proa = the bow, the front of the ship
• babor = the port side, the left side when facing the bow

Useful opposites:

• popa = stern
• estribor = starboard

Yes. Spanish word order is more flexible than English word order.

For example, these are also possible:

• Caminamos por babor hacia la proa.
• Por babor caminamos hacia la proa.

The basic meaning stays the same, although the emphasis shifts slightly depending on what comes first.

Caminar is perfectly natural if the idea is literal walking. It makes the physical action explicit.

Ir would also be possible in some contexts, but it is broader and just means to go. So:

• caminamos = we walked / we were walking
• fuimos / íbamos = we went / we were going

If the speaker wants to stress that they were moving on foot, caminamos is a good choice.

In most of Spain, hacia is pronounced approximately AH-thya: /ˈa.θja/.

A few pronunciation notes:

• the h is silent
• the c before i sounds like th in think in standard Peninsular Spanish
• proa has two syllables: PRO-a
• babor is stressed on the second syllable: ba-BOR

No. Por has many meanings, and this is one reason it can be difficult for English speakers.

Depending on context, por can mean things like:

• through
• along
• by
• via
• because of
• for

In por babor, it does not mean for. It indicates the side or route taken: along / by way of the port side.