Port Royal

About

Port Royal was once a hub of English commerce in the New World, infamous for its devil-may-care atmosphere and home sweet home to pirates, prostitutes, and opportunist Englishmen. This notorious city was even ruled by the ultimate pirate, sir Henry Morgan, later lieutenant governor of Jamaica. As if struck by divine retribution, it was wrecked by hurricanes and fires, a powerful earthquake sinking a good chunk of the city underwater. What was left of Port Royal served as a Royal Navy Dockyard until almost completely destroyed by another earthquakes in 1907. Today, most of the 17th-century city rests beneath 40 feet of water, and what is left on the surface is a small fishing village. The underwater city has been a subject of interest to archeologists from around the world and is often compared to Pompeii for its archaeological significance. One of the top attractions in Port Royal includes the Port Royal Maritime Museum, which showcases the history of the notorious pirate city, Fort Charles, a 17th-century military fortification with sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea, and the nearby Giddy House, an artillery storage house.