PORT ROYAL JAMAICA

Pirates of the Caribbean. You might think that Walt Disney made the whole thing up. Well, it’s not based on a true story either, but the point is, pirates in the Caribbean were as existent as the slaves in Africa.

Port Royal Jamaica is situated at the edge of the southeastern coast of the island. This quaint little town which is home to about 1,200 residents used to be the main port for trading and served as the headquarters of its most famous pirate, Sir Henry Morgan. He, along with the cruel buccaneers, stole from the unsuspecting ships that chance near the island. Port Royal Jamaica served as the hideout for their loot and a place where they celebrated their triumph. This is the reason why Port Royal Jamaica was labeled as the “richest and wickedest city in the world”.

A 1962 earthquake struck Port Royal Jamaica and a good two-thirds of the city sank below the sea. The town thrived for about 32 years before the devastation, however, the English rebuilt the town and was the Empire’s major naval base in the America’s in the two centuries that follow.

Today, Port Royal Jamaica does not house pirates anymore. And even in the absence of the pirates’ treasures, it is still considered as one of the island’s jewels. Archaeologists are not the only people who pay particular interest to the town. There are breathtaking architectures which are centuries-old that are certainly attracting tourists. Even if only a few nautical archaeologists claim to have found some interesting and valuable pieces of the sunken city, Port Royal Jamaica still serves as a favorite hangout of the locals and tourists alike. The town’s amazing history makes people proud to chill out, drink beer, eat local delicacies with their very own “Port Royal Flavor”.

Tourism is still the leading source of revenue in Jamaica. The past years has proven that the industry is indeed growing. That is why there have been extensive efforts from different organizations aimed at restoring the allure of the city so as to attract more attention from the tourists.

Port Royal Jamaica has been made more accessible to cruise ships and is expected to successfully invite Jamaicans and visitors to make a stop in this town. The organizations geared towards the development of this town are also thinking of ways on how to make it the gateway for the development of tourism and cruises shipping.

Port Royal Jamaica’s interesting history is enough to drive people to visit the place. And even though pirates have been inexistent for centuries, the place allows us to become pirates for a day. With their Pirate Cruises, they can certainly give you the feel of what Port Royal was like before the majority of it sunk.